>? 



GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 



The Christian Soldier. 



"'W 



" Yon path of greensward 
Winds round by sparry grot and gay pavilion. 
There is no flint to gall thv tender feet ; 
There 's ready shelter froni each breeze and shower, 
But duty guides not that way. See her stand 
With wand entwined with amaranth near yon cliffs. 
Oft where she leads, thy head must bear the storm; 
Oft where she leads, thy Hood must mark thy footsteps; 
And thy shrunk form endure heat, cold, and hunger. 
But she will guide thee up to noble heights, 
Which he who gains seems native of the sky 
And earthly joys lie stretched beneath his feet, 
Diminished, shrunk, and valueless," 



PUBLISHED FOR THE CITY MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF THE 
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF RICHMOND, VA. 



PHILADELPHIA: . 
CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER. 
Richmond: WOODHOUSE & PARHAM. 

1873. 



Ob-] 
J 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by 

CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 

STEREOTYPED BY J. PAGAN & SON, PHILADELPHIA. 







THIS little volume has been prepared by a 
lady of Virginia, at the request of a few 
Christian men who have deeply revered and 
heartily loved the character of General Robert 
E. Lee. 

Looking upon him as a very high type of 
manhood", they have desired that his testimony 
to the truth of Christianity, and the example 
and teaching of his life, so single-hearted, so 
clear, so eloquent in behalf of duty, of virtue, 
.and of religion, should be as widely influential 
and as effective as possible. 

Until, in the course of Providence, sectional 
animosity in this country culminated in fury, 
and great questions of state were referred to the 
arbitrament of the sword, there was no man 
who stood so fairly in the eyes of the whole 
American people, or who had so sure and un- 
questioned a title to their esteem and affection, 
as General Lee. That he deplored the separa- 



X PREFACE. 

tion he could not prevent, is clear enough. 
That his own determination and course were 
based upon a high sense of duty, none can 
doubt. In the great crisis that was upon us, 
wealth, honor, life to him were as nothing. 
The question of duty was all in all. Deciding 
that in favor of his native State, he abandoned 
everything, forsook the strong, and gave him- 
self heart and soul to what, none better than' 
he knew, was the weaker side. Whether he 
was right or wrong, God knows. The honesty 
of his purpose and his magnanimity the whole 
world has approved. 

The principles of his character, the motives 
of his actions, and his fidelity to Christian re- 
sponsibilities, may be admired, regardless of 
politics and sectional differences. In these he 
glorified God ; for these he will be admired 
and loved the world over; and for these he is 
commended to the young people of America. 




CONTENTS j^c) 



2*- -^ 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGB 

Birth and Ancestry, 13 

CHAPTER II. 

Removal of his Family to Alexandria, . . .18 

CHAPTER III. 

Beginning of his Military Career, . . . .27 

CHAPTER IV. 
Mexican War, 34 

CHAPTER V. 

He returns Home on a Furlough, and Joins the 
Church, .42 

CHAPTER VI. 
Beginning of the Civil War, 46 

CHAPTER VII. 

Lee goes to Virginia, and is made Commander of 
her Forces, 52 

CHAPTER VIII. 

General Lee in Richmond putting it in a State of 
Defence, 6$ 

CHAPTER IX. 

General Lee becomes Commander of the Army of 

Northern Virginia, 70 

xi 



Xll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

PAGE 

Battles around Richmond, 81 

CHAPTER XL 
Lee crosses the Border, 93 

CHAPTER XII. 

Chancellorsville, and Death of General Jackson, 105 

CHAPTER XIII. 
General Lee after the Defeat at Gettysburg, . 1 14 

CHAPTER XIV. 
General Lee's Disinterestedness, and Self-denial, 121 

CHAPTER XV. 
Dahlgren Raid — Death of General Stuart, . .129 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Lee appointed Commander-in-Chief — Sufferings of 
the Troops, 140 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The Fall of Richmond, and the Surrender, . . 148 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Lee returns to Richmond, 164 

CHAPTER XIX. 
The Love of his Soldiers, 167 

CHAPTER XX. 

Lee is Invited to the Presidency of Washington 
College, and Accepts the Position, . . .177 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Lee's Mode of Life at Lexington, and Death, . 184 




GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH AND ANCESTRY. 

ROBERT EDWARD LEE, our Christian soldier 
and brave leader to many victories, " was 
born at Stratford, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, 
on the 19th of January, 1807." This entry is found 
in the family Bible in his mother's handwriting. His 
family, of Norman descent, is traced by himself, in 
his sketch of his father's life, to Launcelot Lee of 
Loudon, in France, who accompanied William the 
Conqueror to England. After the battle of Hastings, 
he, with other followers, was rewarded by the Con- 
queror with lands wrested from the Saxons. All that 

we know is, that his estate was in Essex, England. 
2 13 



14 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

From that time his name is found, ever and anon, 
in English annals, and always in honorable con- 
nection. 

Thus, we next find Lionel Lee accompanying 
King Richard the Lion-hearted, in the year 1192, in 
his third Crusade to rescue the Holy Land from the 
followers of Mohammed. There, his career was 
marked by gallantry, and at the siege of Acre 
he received a solid proof of the approbation of his 
king. On his return to England, he was made first 
Earl of Litchfield, and was presented by the king 
with the estate of Ditchley — which name, centuries 
afterwards, his descendants gave to an estate in 
Northumberland County, Virginia. 

In 1542, Richard Lee. accompanied the Earl of 
Surry in his unfortunate expedition across the Scot- 
tish border. Two of the family are found about the 
same time to have so distinguished themselves as 
to have their banners suspended in St. George's 
Chapel, in Windsor Castle, with the Lee coat of arms 
about them. These incidents show that the blood 
of our hero was as valiant as it was virtuous, and the 
motto which accompanied the coat of arms of his 
ancestors, ' ' Non incautus fuiuri, ' ' seems, says one 
of his biographers, to have been descriptive of one 
of the traits of their great descendant. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 15 

In the reign of Charles the First, we find the 
family of Lee in Shropshire, and of the cavalier 
stock. Then it was that Richard Lee, described as 
a gentleman of many accomplishments, determined 
to come to the New World, of which he had heard 
such marvellous accounts. Bishop Meade, in his book 
on the "Old Churches and Families of Virginia," 
says of him, " He was a man of good stature, comely 
visage, enterprising genius, a sound head, vigorous 
spirit, and generous nature. When he got to Vir- 
ginia, which was at that time very little cultivated, 
he was so much pleased with the country that he 
made large settlements with the servants he brought 
over." He returned again and again to England, 
but finally settled between the Potomac and Rappa- 
hannock rivers, in the country known as the North- 
ern Neck of Virginia. He was for a long time Secre- 
tary of the Commonwealth, under Sir William 
Berkeley, Governor, and is said to have exercised 
much influence upon the Colony in that great revo- 
lution which made Cromwell supreme in England. 
He died in Virginia, leaving one son, Richard, who 
remained in this country, and was distinguished as a 
man of much learning. Henry, the fifth son of this 
Richard Lee, was the ancestor of General R. E. Lee. 
He married a Miss Bland, and their third son, 



l6 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Henry, married a Miss Grymes, and became the 
father of General Henry Lee, of the old Revolution, 
known as " Light Horse Harry," because he so suc- 
cessfully led the cavalry against Tarleton and Corn- 
wallis in the Southern campaign. He (Light Horse 
Harry) first married his cousin Matilda, a lady, it is 
said, of great beauty, whom her husband lovingly 
called the "divine Matilda." She was daughter 
of Philip Ludwell Lee, of Stratford, where, after the 
Revolution, he resided with his father-in-law ; and by 
this marriage he became possessed of this family 
residence. His first wife having died, he married, 
on the 1 8th of June, 1793, Anne Hill Carter, a 
daughter of Charles Carter, Esq., of Shirley, on 
James River, a gentleman of wealth and high posi- 
tion, who was renowned for his benevolence ; which 
trait seems to have been inherited by his grandson 
to a remarkable degree. Robert Edward Lee was 
the second son of this marriage. 

The stately old mansion, Stratford, was originally 
built by the first Richard Lee who came to this 
country; it was afterwards destroyed by fire while 
the residence of his grandson Thomas, who was the 
fourth son of the learned Richard. He at once de- 
termined to rebuild it. He was a member of the 
King's Council, and so much was he esteemed both 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 1J 

in the Colonies and in England, that the Govern- 
ment and merchants immediately contributed to 
defray the expense of reconstructing it; and it is 
said that Queen Caroline, the wife of George the 
Second, united largely in the subscription from her 
private purse. The immense structure soon arose, 
at a cost of about eighty thousand dollars. It still 
stands in Westmoreland County, on a picturesque 
bluff overlooking the Potomac, with its thick walls 
of English brick, its immense hall, its antique cor- 
ridors, its wide saloon, its pavilions, balustrades, and 
clusters of chimneys, its extensive lawn, with an- 
cient oaks, forest poplars, cedars, and maples, with 
the occasional Lombardy poplar, which has doubt- 
less, with its towering and pointed top, attracted 
many a weary traveller to the refined hospitalities of 
Stratford ; but alas ! alas ! it has long ago passed from 
the ownership of the Lees. The chamber in which 
Robert E. Lee was born was the same in which his 
renowned relatives Richard Henry and Francis 
Lightfoot Lee first saw the light. Within five miles 
of Stratford stood " Pope's Creek," the birthplace 
of Washington. 




CHAPTER II. 



REMOVAL OF HIS FAMILY TO ALEXANDRIA. 



THE father of General Lee removed to Alexan- 
dria, for the purpose of educating his children, 
when Robert was but four years of age, but the peace- 
ful, quiet, country scenes left a deep impression upon 
his childish imagination. He always loved the coun- 
try, loved horses and country pursuits; the trees, 
streams and grass were dearer to him than all the 
elegancies and grandeur of the most refined city life. 
During the last year of his life, he said to a lady, 
"Nothing does me as much good as to visit my son at 
the 'White House,' and see the mules walk around, 
and the corn growing." His childhood was passed 
amid the stirring events of the second war with Eng- 
land. A British fleet under Admiral Cockburn rav- 
aged the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and its large 
rivers, and on the 29th of August, 181 4, the town 

of Alexandria, then his home, was captured by the 

18 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 19 

enemy's vessels, and soon afterwards the opposite 
shore of the Potomac, and the city of Washington, 
were occupied by the enemy. These events occur- 
ring immediately under his eye when so young, may 
have had some effect in moulding his naturally gentle 
nature, and in giving the preference for the army. 
When he was eleven years old his father died. 
Then, his older brother being absent and his 
sisters very young, he became the stay and comfort 
of his pious and devoted mother. 

Mrs. Lee remained in Alexandria, and was a com- 
municant of " Christ Church." Her children were 
taught the Episcopal Catechism by the Rev. Wm. 
Meade, rector of the church, and afterwards the 
venerated Bishop of Virginia. Many years after- 
wards, when General Lee commanded the Army of 
Northern Virginia, he passed through Richmond, 
and hearing that the revered teacher and pastor of 
his boyhood was on his dying bed, at the house of 
a friend in that city, he immediately went to see 
him. When his name was mentioned to the Bishop, 
and a doubt expressed of the propriety of his seeing 
him in his weak state, he said, faintly : 

"I must see him, if but for a few moments." 
General Lee approached the bed evincing deep 
emotion, and, taking the emaciated hand, said to 
him : 



20 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

"How are you to-day, Bishop? " 

"Almost gone," replied Bishop Meade, in a voice 
scarcely audible; "but I wanted to see you once 
more. God bless you, Robert ! God bless you, and 
fit you for your high and responsible duties. I can't 
call you General ; I must call you Robert. I have 
heard your Catechism so often." 

A brief conversation then ensued, the Bishop 
putting some pertinent questions to General Lee 
about the state of the country and the army, show- 
ing, as he always did, the most lively interest in the 
success of the Southern cause. It now seemed ne- 
cessary to close the interview, such was the Bishop's 
exhaustion, but he pressed warmly the General's 
hand, saying, "Heaven bless you! Heaven bless 
you, and give you wisdom for your important and 
arduous duties." He could say no more. General 
Lee returned the pressure of the feeble hand, stood 
motionless by the bedside in perfect silence for 
some minutes, and then left the room. Bishop Meade 
died the next morning. 

Alexandria continued to be the residence of his 
mother, and his devotion to her, invalid as she 
was, seems to have been one of the distinguishing 
traits of his boyhood. There are persons still living 
who remember how cheerfully he executed her 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 21 

orders and attended to her business, and how ten- 
derly and untiringly he labored to promote her hap- 
piness. His self-denying devotion to her when a boy 
of eleven is often spoken of by a relative who was 
often with her at that time. His oldest brother, 
Carter, was then at Cambridge, Sidney Smith in the 
navy, one sister under the care of the physicians in 
Philadelphia, and the other too young for household 
cares ; so that Robert was the housekeeper, car- 
ried the keys, attended to marketing, the horses, or 
anything which relieved the mind or lightened the 
burden of his sick and widowed mother. When 
school-hours were over, and other boys went to the 
play-ground, he would be seen running to assist his 
mother to be ready for her drive. The relative al- 
luded to was often the companion of those drives, 
and remembers his efforts to amuse her, saying, with 
the gravity of a man, that unless she was cheerful the 
drive would not be beneficial ; and if she com- 
plained of the draughts of air, he would pull out 
his knife and a newspaper, and amuse her by his 
efforts to improvise curtains, to protect her from the 
wind which whistled through the crevices of the old 
family-coach. When, at eighteen years of age, it be- 
came necessary for him to choose a profession, he 
chose the army, and obtained an appointment from 



22 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Virginia as cadet at West Point. Then came the 
trial of parting with his mother, knowing, as he 
did, how sorrowful it would make her to give him 
up. " How can I live without Robert?" she was 
heard to say: "he is both son and daughter to 
me." 

He entered the Military Academy in 1825, carry- 
ing with him the steady Christian character, and the 
determination to do right, which so signally marked 
his public and private course through life. He had 
been early taught, by his good mother and faithful 
pastor, his duty towards God and his neighbor, to 
"submit himself to all his governors and teachers, 
and to order himself lowly and reverently to all his 
betters;" therefore he found it comparatively easy 
to submit to the rigid discipline of the Institution. 
He left it in 1829, having passed through the whole 
course of four years without receiving a single de- 
merit or being once reprimanded. He was noted 
for his studious habits and exemplary conduct. He 
never used an oath, drank intoxicating liquors, 
played cards, or indulged in any of those bad prac- 
tices so fatal to students, but unfortunately regarded 
by so many of them as marks of manliness or as 
mere sources of amusement, and the more enjoyed be- 
cause forbidden. He never used tobacco in any shape. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 23 

On the 4th of July, 1829, he graduated first in 
his class, and received the appointment of Brevet 
Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Topograph- 
ical Engineers, to which branch of the service 
the most distinguished graduates of West Point are 
assigned. Very soon after graduation, he was sum- 
moned to attend the dying bed of the mother whom 
he loved so much. She was ill at Ravensworth, the 
residence of the Hon. Wm. H. Fitzhugh, near 
Alexandria. Having obtained his furlough, he 
hastened thither, and nursed her with the tender- 
ness and fidelity of a devoted daughter ; administer- 
ing her nourishment and medicine with his own 
hands, and rarely leaving her bedside until the dis- 
tressing scene was over. One who knew him best 
says that it was from his good mother that he 
learned at an early age to "practise self-denial and 
self-control, as well as the strictest economy in all 
financial concerns," virtues which he retained and 
exercised throughout his checkered life. He was 
wont to say that he " owed everything to his 
mother." 

When but a child, while his father was in the 
West Indies, during his last illness, he wrote to his 
son Carter, then a student at Cambridge, and speak- 
ing feelingly of his children, whom he was destined 
never to see again, he says : 



24 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

"Robert, who was always good, will be con* 
firmed in his happy turn of mind by his ever watch- 
ful and affectionate mother." 

This tender remark, which seems to have been 
written in the spirit of prophecy, shows how beau- 
tifully the boy, even at that early age, had fulfilled 
the commandment, "Honor thy father and thy 
mother," to both parents. To the teachers of his 
childhood, as well as to his school-mates, his 
memory seems to be dear, as that of one who only 
gave them pleasure. They remember that Robert 
Lee was always regarded with love and respect by 
the whole school, and that he was remarkable for 
his quiet and peaceable disposition. His first 
teacher was a Mr. Leary, an Irish gentleman, 
who, twice after the war, went a great distance to 
see him, which meetings were greatly enjoyed by 
both teacher and pupil. He was taught mathe- 
matics by Mr. Benjamin Hallowell, a famous teacher 
in Alexandria, who still lives to give by letter the 
estimation in which he held his pupil, as the follow- 
ing extract will show : 

" Robert E. Lee entered my school in Alexandria, 
in the winter of 1824-25, to study mathematics pre- 
paratory to his going to West Point. He was a 
most exemplary student in every respect. He was 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 2$ 

never behind time at his studies ; never failed in a 
single recitation ; was perfectly observant of the rules 
and regulations of the Institution; was gentlemanly, 
unobtrusive, and respectful in all his deportment to 
teachers and to his fellow-students. 

" His specialty was finishing up. He imparted a 
finish and a neatness, as he proceeded, to everything 
he undertook. One of the branches of mathematics 
he studied with me was Conic Sections, in which 
some of the diagrams are very complicated. He 
drew the diagrams on a slate; and although he well 
knew that the one he was drawing would have to be 
removed to make room for another, he drew each 
one with as much accuracy and finish, lettering and 
all, as if it was to be engraved and printed. He 
carried the same traits he exhibited in my school to 
West Point, where I have been told he never re- 
ceived a demerit mark, and graduated head of his 
class. 

"A feeling of mutual kindness and respect con- 
tinued between us to the close of his life. He was a 
great friend and advocate of education." 

Mr. Hallowell, who was a Union man during the 
war, adds, " It was a matter of great regret to me that 
he thought it right to take the course he did in our 
3 



26 



GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 



recent national difficulties ; but I never entertained 
a doubt that he was influenced by what he believed 
to be his duty, and what was entirely in harmony 
with the requirements of a gentleman and the dic- 
tates of honor." 





CHAPTER III. 

BEGINNING OF HIS MILITARY CAREER. 

AFTER this brief furlough and sad visit to his 
home. Lieutenant Lee entered upon the duties 
of his profession with the zeal and interest which 
foreshadowed success. In the spring of 183 1 he was 
married, at Arlington, to Mary Randolph Custis, only 
child of George Washington Parke Custis, and grand- 
' daughter of the wife of General Washington. The 
marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. Dr. 
Keith, of the Theological Seminary, near Alexandria. 
After his marriage, Lieutenant Lee became, when 
on furlough, the resident of Arlington House, the 
beautiful home of his father-in-law. Soon afterwards 
he was sent to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, where he 
remained three years. In 1835 ne was appointed 
Assistant Astronomer for marking out the boundary 
between Ohio and Michigan. In Sept., 1836, he 

was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant, and 

27 



28 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

in 1838 to a Captaincy. In 1838-39 he was sent to 
improve the navigation of the Mississippi at St. 
Louis, and to open a passage for the river at Des 
Moines Rapids. While absent from home, and 
working so skilfully for his country, his warm heart 
longed for the dear ones from whom he was neces- 
sarily so much separated. " His care and anxiety for 
his children," writes one who knew him best, " com- 
menced with the first ; and though he was so frequently 
absent from them, their obedience to his commands 
was perfect, as was their respect for his wishes; 
and certainly his example never misled them." 

In a letter written to his wife, when far from home, 
and while his children were very young, we find this 
extract : 

" The improved condition of the children, which 
you mention, was a source of great comfort to 
me ; and as I suppose, by this time, you have all 
returned to Arlington, you will be able to put them 
under a proper restraint, which you were probably 
obliged to relax while visiting among strangers, and 
which that indulgence will now render more essen- 
tial. Our dear little boy seems to have among his 
friends the reputation of being hard to manage, — a 
distinction not at all desirable, as it indicates self- 
will and obstinacy. Perhaps these are qualities 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 29 

which he really possesses, and he may have a better 
right to them than I am willing to acknowledge ; 
but it is our duty, if possible, to counteract them, and 
assist him to bring them under his control: I have 
j endeavored, in my intercourse with him, to require 
nothing but what was in my opinion necessary or 
proper, and to explain to him temperately its pro- 
priety, at a time when he could listen to my argu- 
ments, and not at the moment of his being vexed, 
and his little faculties warped by passion. I have 
\ also tried to show him that I was firm in my de- 
1 mands and constant in their enforcement, and that 
i he must comply with them ; and I let him see that 
I I looked to their execution in order to relieve him, 
\ as much as possible, from the temptation to break 
! them. Since my efforts have been so unsuccessful, 
I fear I have altogether failed in accomplishing my 
purpose, but I hope to be able to profit by my ex- 
perience. You must assist me in my attempts, and 
we must endeavor to combine the mildness and for- 
bearance of the mother with the sternness and, per- 
haps, unreasonableness of the father. This is a subject 
on which I think much, though M — may blame me 
for not reading more. I am ready to acknowledge 
the good advice contained in the text-books, and 
believe that I see the merit of their reasoning gener- 
3* 



30 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

ally; but what I want to learn is, to apply what I 
already know. I pray God to watch over, and 
direct our efforts in guarding our dear little son, that 
we may bring him up in the way he should go. . . . 

" .... Oh what pleasure I lose in being sepa- 
rated from my children. Nothing can compensate 
me for that; still I must remain here, ready to per- 
form what little service I can, and hope for the best." 

This letter is dated St. Louis, Oct. 16th, 1837. 

This extract, showing his wisdom and love in 
endeavoring to train so young a child, seems too 
good to be withheld from parents, for their instruc- 
tion and example. Another letter, showing how 
tender and amiable he was in his domestic relations, 
was written nearly two years afterwards, while still 
on duty in the West. 

Louisville, June 5th, 1839. 

My dearest Mary : — I arrived here last night, 
and before going out this morning I will inform 
you of my well-doing thus far. 

After leaving Staunton, I got on very well, but 
did not reach Guyandotte till Sunday evening, 
where, before alighting from the stage, I espied a 
boat descending the river, in which I took passage 
to Cincinnati 

.... You do not know how much I hav6 
missed you and the children, my dear Mary. To 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 31 

J. 

be alone in a crowd is very solitary. In the 
woods I feel sympathy with the trees and birds in 
whose company I take delight, but experience no 
interest in a strange crowd. I hope you are all well, 
, and will continue so ; and therefore must again urge 
J upon you to be very prudent and careful of those 
I dear children. If I could only get a squeeze at that 
little fellow turning up his sweet mouth to "keese 
Baba!" You must not let him run wild in my 
absence, and will have to exercise firm authority over 
jail of them. This will not require severity, or even 
I strictness, but constant attention, and an unwavering 
(course. Mildness and forbearance, tempered by 
firmness and judgment, will strengthen their affec- 
tion for you, while it .will maintain your control 
over them. 



In 1842 Captain Lee was sent to Fort Hamilton, 
in New York harbor, and while there was, in' 1844, 
appointed a member of the board of visitors at West 
Point. In 1845 he was a member of the board of 
Engineers, and in 1846, when the Mexican War 
broke out, he was assigned to the duty of Chief 
Engineer of the Central Army of Mexico, in which 
capacity he served with great ability to the end of 
the war. 

While still at Fort Hamilton, the following letter 
was written to one of his sons: 



32 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Fort Hamilton, March 31st, 1846. 
I cannot go to bed, my dear son, without writ- 
ing you a few lines to thank you for your letter, 
which gave me great pleasure. I am glad to hear 
you are well, and hope you are learning to read and 
write, and that the next letter you will be able to 
write yourself. I want to see you very much, and 
to tell you all that has happened since you went 
away. I do not think I ever told you of a fine 
boy I heard of in my travels this winter. He lived 
in the mountains of New Hampshire. He was just 
thirteen years old, the age of Custis. His father was 
a farmer, and he used to assist him to work on his 
farm as much as he could. The snow there this 
winter was deeper than it has been for years, and 
one day he accompanied his father into the woods 
to get some wood. They went with their wood-sled, 
and after cutting a load and loading the sled, this 
little boy, whose name was Harry, drove it home, 
while his father cut another load. He had a fine 
team of horses, and returned very quickly, when he 
found his father lying prostrate on the frozen snow, 
under the limb of a large tree he had felled during 
his absence, which had caught him in its fall and 
thrown him to the ground. He was cold and stiff; 
and little Harry, finding he was not strong enough 
to relieve him from his position, seized his axe and 
cut off the limb, and rolled it off of him. He then 
tried to raise him, but his father was dead, and his 
feeble efforts were in vain. Although he was far out 
in the woods by himself, and had never before seen 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 33 

a dead person, he was nothing daunted, but backed 
the sled close up to his father, and with great labor 
got his body on it, and placing his head in his lap, 
drove home to his mother as fast as he could. The 
efforts of his mother to reanimate him were equally 
vain with his own, and the sorrowing neighbors came 
and dug him a grave under the cold snow, and laid 
him quietly to rest. His mother was greatly dis- 
tressed at the loss of her husband, but she thanked 
God, who had given her so good and brave a son. 

You and Custis must take great care of your kind 
mother and dear sisters, when your father is dead. 
To do that, you must learn to be good. Be true, 
kind, and generous, and pray earnestly to God to 
enable you to "keep his commandments, and walk in 
the same all the days of your life." Alec and Frank 
are well, and the former has begun to ride his pony 
Jim again. Captain Bennett has bought his little 
boy a donkey, and as I came home I met him 
riding, with two large Newfoundland dogs follow- 
ing, one on each side. The dogs were almost as 
large as the donkey. My horse, Jerry, did not 
know what to make of them. I go to New York 
now, on horseback, every day ; one day I ride Jerry, 
and the next Tom, and I think they begin to go 
better under the saddle than formerly. I hope to 
come on soon, to see that little baby you have got 
to show me. You must give her a kiss for me, and 
one to all the children, and to your mother and 
grandmother. Good-bye, my dear son. 

Your affectionate father, R. E. Lee. 
C 




CHAPTER IV. 

MEXICAN WAR. 

THE time had now come for Captain Lee to 
change the quiet of garrison life for the stir- 
ring scenes of war. Hostilities now commenced with 
Mexico. General Scott began early in 1847 to c °l- 
lect troops on the island of Lobos, for an expedition 
against Vera Cruz. Captain Lee had been assigned 
to the central army of Mexico, and was now Chief 
Engineer under General Wool. 

The following letter to his sons, Custis and W. 
H. F. Lee, was written about this time. 

Ship Massachusetts, off Lobos, 
Feb. 27th, 1847. 
My dear Boys : — I received your letters with the 
greatest pleasure, and, as I always like to talk to you 
both together, I will not separate you in my letters, 
but write one to both. I was much gratified to hear 
of your progress at school, and hope you will con- 

34 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 35 

tinue to advance, and that I shall have the happiness 
of finding you much improved in your studies, on 
my return. I shall not feel my long separation from 
you, if I find that my absence has been of no injury 
to you, and that you have both grown in goodness 
and knowledge as well as in stature. But ah, how 
much I will suffer on my return, if I find the reverse 
has occurred ! You enter into all my thoughts, in all 
my prayers ; and on you, in part, will depend whether 
I shall be happy or miserable, as you know how 
much I love you. You must do all in your power to 
save me pain. You will learn, by my letter to your 
grandmother, that I have been to Tampico. I saw 
many things to remind me of you, though that was 
not necessary to make me wish that you were with 
me. The river was so calm and beautiful, and the 
boys were playing about in boats, and swimming 
their ponies. Then there were troops of donkeys 
carrying water through the streets. They had a kind 
of saddle, something like a cart - saddle, though 
larger, that carried two ten-gallon kegs on each side, 
which was a load for a donkey. They had no 
bridles on, but would come along in strings to the 
river, and, as soon as their kegs were filled, start off 
again. They were fatter and sleeker than any 
donkeys I had ever seen before, and seemed to be 
better cared for. I saw a great many ponies, too. 
They were larger than those in the upper country, 
but did not seem so enduring. I got one to ride 
around the fortifications. He had a Mexican bit 



36 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

and saddle on, and paced delightfully, but every 
time my sword struck him on the flanks, he would 
jump, and try to run off. Several of them had been 
broken to harness by the Americans, and I saw some 
teams in wagons, driven four-in-hand, well matched, 
and trotting well. We had a grand parade on Gen- 
eral Scott's arrival. The troops were all drawn up 
on the bank of the river, and fired a salute as he 
passed them. He landed at the market, where lines 
of sentinels were placed to keep off the crowd. In 
front of the landing the artillery was drawn up, 
which received him in the centre of the column and 
escorted him through the streets to his lodgings. 
They had provided a handsome gray horse, richly 
caparisoned for him to ride, but he preferred to walk 
with his staff around him, and a dragoon led the 
horse behind us. The windows along the streets we 
passed were crowded with people, and the boys and 
girls were in great glee. The Governor's Island 
band played all the time. 

There were six thousand soldiers in Tampico. 
Mr. Barry was the Adjutant of the escort. I think 
you would have enjoyed with me the oranges and 
sweet potatoes. Major Smith became so fond of 
the coffee, that I could hardly get him away from 
the house. We only remained there one day. I 
have a nice state-room on board this ship. Joe 
Johnston and myself occupy it, but my poor Joe is so 
sick all the time, I can do nothing with him. I left 
Jem to come on with the horses, as I was afraid they 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 37 

would not be properly cared for. " Vessels were ex- 
pressly fitted up for the horses, and parties of 
dragoons detailed to take care of them. I had 
hoped they would reach here by this time, as I 
wanted to see how they were fixed. I took every 
precaution for their comfort, provided them with 
bran, oats, etc., and had slings made to pass under 
them and attach the coverings above, so that, if in 
the heavy sea they should slip, or be thrown off 
their feet, they should not fall. I had to sell my 
good old horse "Jem," as I could not find room 
for him, or, rather, I did not want to crowd the 
others. I know I shall want him when I land. 
Creole was the admiration of every one at Brazos, 
and they could hardly believe she had carried me so 
far and looked so well. Jem says there is nothing 
like her in all the country, and I believe he likes her 
better than Tom or Jerry. The sorrel mare did not 
appear to be so well after I got to the Brazos. I had 
put one of the men on her whose horse had given 
out, and the saddle hurt her back. She had gotten 
well, however, before I left, and I told Jem to ride 
her every day. I hope they may both reach the 
shore in safety, but I fear they will have a hard time. 
They will have to be put on board a steamboat and 
carried to the ship that lies about two miles out at 
sea, then hoisted in, and how we shall get them on 
shore again I do not know. Probably throw them 
overboard, and let them swim there. I do not 
think we shall remain here more than one day 
4 



38 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

longer. General Worth's and General Twiggs's di- 
visions have arrived, which include the regulars, 
and Lsuppose the volunteers will be coming on 
every day. . . . 

.... Tell Rob he must think of me very 
often, be a good boy, and always love his papa. 
Take care of Speck* and the colts. Mr. Sedgwick 
and all the officers send their love to you. The ship 
rolls so that I can scarcely write. You must write 
to me very often. I am always glad to hear from 
you. Be sure that I am thinking of you, and that 
you have the prayers of 

Your affectionate father, 

R. E. Lee. 

The skill of Captain Lee as an engineer had im- 
pressed the military authorities most favorably, and 
particularly General Winfield Scott; and during the 
Mexican war he was entrusted with the most difficult 
enterprises. At the siege of Vera Cruz he rendered 
important services, and General Scott appointed him 
to a position on his personal staff, and always asked 
and attached great importance to his opinion in coun- 
cil, "lam compelled," says General Scott, in his 
Autobiography, "to make special mention of Captain 
R. E. Lee, Engineer. This officer greatly distin- 
guished himself at the siege of Vera Cruz. ' ' Indeed, 

* A little dog. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 39 

his whole career in Mexico was most distinguished ; 
and his veteran commander mentioned him honor- 
ably in almost every dispatch. In making a recon- 
noissance from Cerro Gordo, Captain Lee ventured so 
far from his column, that he found himself in the 
midst of the enemy. He concealed himself under a 
fallen tree, near a spring where the Mexicans obtained 
water. The Mexicans passed and repassed over the 
tree, and even sat upon it, without discovering him. 
He remained there until night enabled him to make 
his escape. On one occasion, when the two advanced 
divisions of the Mexican army lay in the valley of 
the Plan-de-Rio, and the body of the army, about 
three miles off, on the heights of Cerro Gordo, it 
became necessary, to success, that a road should be 
opened for batteries on the mountains in the rear of 
the enemy : the difficult task was allotted to Captain- 
Lee, at the head of a body of pioneers. At the end 
of three days the way was opened, and a light bat- 
tery put in position, to the dismay of the Mexican 
General Santa Anna, who said that he had not be- 
lieved that a goat could approach him in that direc- 
tion. Hence the surprise to the Mexicans, and 
great results. 

General William Preston, who knew him first in 
Mexico, said of him, " He was a man of great per- 



40 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

sonal beauty and grace of body There were 

discerning minds that appreciated his genius, and saw- 
in him the coming Captain of America. He be- 
longed to a club which was then organized, together 
with General McClellan, General Albert Sydney 
Johnston, General Beauregard, and a host of others, 
who recognized Lee as a master-spirit. He never 
swore an oath ; he never drank ; he was never violent ; 
he never wrangled. He was averse to quarrelling, 
and not a single difficulty marked his career ; but all 
acknowledged his justness and wonderful evenness 
of mind. Rare intelligence, combined with these 
qualities, served to make him a fit representative of 
his great prototype — General Washington." " He 
came from Mexico," says President Davis, in his 
address delivered at Richmond, Va., after the death 
of General Lee, "crowned with honors, covered 
by brevets, and recognized, young as he was, as one 
of the ablest of his country's soldiers. And to prove 
that he was estimated then as such, let me tell you 
that when Lee was a captain of engineers, stationed 
in Baltimore, the Cuban Junta in New York selected 
him to be their leader in the struggle for the inde- 
pendence of their native country. They were 
anxious to secure his services, and offered him every 
temptation that ambition could desire. He thought 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 41 

the matter over, and, I remember, came to Wash- 
ington to consult me as to what he should do ; and 
when I began to discuss the complications which 
might arise from his acceptance of the trust, he 
gently rebuked me, saying that this was not the 
line upon which he wished my advice : the simple 
question was, ' Whether it was right or not ? ' " Such 
was his determination to do right, that the most 
tempting offers of ambition or wealth could not 
make him diverge one iota from the path of duty. 
After lauding his military genius, Mr. Davis says : 
"His moral qualities rose to the height of his ge- 
nius. Self-denying ; always intent upon the one idea 
of duty; self-controlled to an extent that many 
thought him cold. His feelings were really warm, 
and his heart melted freely at the sight of a 
wounded soldier, or the story of the sufferings of the 
widow and orphan." 
4* 




CHAPTER V. 

HE RETURNS HOME ON A FURLOUGH, AND JOINS 
THE CHURCH. 

I«T was in the summer of 1853, in old Christ 
Church, Alexandria, during one of his visits to 
his family at Arlington, that he renewed his bap- 
tismal covenant, and openly enlisted under the ban- 
ner of the Cross, engaging to "continue Christ's 
faithful servant and soldier unto his life's end." It 
was in that old church, picturesque in its antique 
beauty, ivy-covered, and surrounded by trees the 
growth of more than a century — the church where 
Washington worshipped from week to week, after 
his retirement to Mount Vernon, and whose square 
pew is now kept just as he left it, the association 
never having been destroyed by the desecrating 
hand of "modern improvement," — in that church 
in which his sainted mother worshipped, in which 

he had been taught the Catechism by Bishop Meade, 

42 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 43 

and trained to " Remember his Creator in the days 
of his youth," that Colonel Robert E. Lee was con- 
firmed by Bishop Johns. He approached the chan- 
cel with a daughter on each arm, who knelt with 
their father for the same holy purpose. He was 
then in his forty-sixth year. From his childhood, 
the desire of his life seems to have been to do right. 
His unselfish devotion to his mother ; his course at 
West Point, in which he seems to have kept himself 
unspotted from the world ; his almost blameless 
course in the army and in domestic life, would seem 
to indicate that the early seed of religion, so earn- 
estly sown, had taken deep root, and that the mo- 
tives of his conduct were purified by Divine grace. 
Of his reasons for not being earlier a professed 
Christian, we know nothing; we only know that 
now, while quietly resting from the active duties of 
his soldier's life, he felt that he must, as a Christian, 
confess Christ before men ; and there never was to 
his dying day a "sliding in his steps." 

We cannot follow him through his rapid promo- 
tion in the army. After having been three years in 
the honorable post of Superintendent of the United 
States Military Academy, West Point, we find him, 
in 1855, commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel, in full 
rank, of the Second Regiment of Cavalry. The 



44 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Colonel of that regiment was the lamented Albert 
Sydney Johnston, afterwards General in the Con 
federate service, who fell, in the zenith of his fame, 
on the field of Shiloh. In that year (1855) he was 
sent to Texas, and was often actively engaged in 
Indian warfare, and remained there till his recall at 
the breaking out of the Civil War in 1861. 

In 1859 Colonel Lee returned to Arlington on 
furlough, and while there he was called away from 
his family to take part in what is known as the 
"John Brown raid." On the night of the 16th 
of October, a band of conspirators, led by a des- 
perado named John Brown, who had been notorious 
in the North- West territories as an offender against 
the laws, attacked Harper's Ferry, for the purpose 
of taking possession of the United States Armory, 
which contained about fifty thousand small arms. 
The avowed purpose was to arm the slaves of the 
State, and to incite them to insurrection. Several 
citizens were fired on and killed, and others taken 
prisoners. The news of the outbreak was at once 
telegraphed to Washington, and the militia of the 
surrounding country were ordered out, to put down 
the insurrection. President Buchanan dispatched a 
battalion of marines, under the command of Colonel 
Lee, to arrest the rioters. Brown and his men had 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 45 

retreated to the engine-house, and fortified it. They 
had with them a number of the prisoners. This 
house Colonel Lee immediately on his arrival sur- 
rounded, to prevent the escape of Brown, but de- 
ferred the attack until next morning, lest the captive 
citizens might be injured. At daylight on the 18th, 
Colonel Lee sent his aid, Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart, 
to demand the surrender of the insurgents, promis- 
ing to protect them from the violence of the citizens. 
Brown refused. Finding that nothing but force 
could avail, Colonel Lee ordered the attack; and 
the marines by a gallant assault captured the build- 
ing and its inmates, several of whom were killed or 
wounded. Brown was among the latter. The ma- 
rines lost one man killed, and one wounded ; but 
providentially none of the citizens captured by 
Brown were injured. Colonel Lee protected his 
prisoners from the enraged citizens, until orders 
were received from Washington to turn them over 
to the Virginia authorities ; and having performed 
the duty assigned him, he returned to Washington. 
At the expiration of his furlough he joined his regi- 
ment in Texas, where he remained until he was re- 
called to Washington in 1861. 




CHAPTER VI. 



BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



OF the causes of this war, it is not proper in this 
little volume to speak. That it became neces- 
sary must ever be a source of regret to both sections 
of the country. When Lee returned to Washington, 
he found the whole country burning with passions 
which betokened war. South Carolina had seceded, 
and was soon followed by the States bordering on 
the Gulf of Mexico. Early in February a govern- 
ment was formed at Montgomery, in Alabama, and 
the Hon. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was elected 
President of the Confederate States. Virginia for 
some time clung to the Union, which she revered. 
She could not see it dismembered without an effort 
for peace. She looked on with sorrow, and could 
not see her sister States, so long united, tearing 

themselves apart without interposing to heal the 

46 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 47 

wounds and reunite them. She cried aloud for 
peace ! peace / but it was all in vain. The peace 
convention at Washington, from which she hoped 
so much, had failed to promote harmony. The 
President of the United States had demanded sev- 
enty-five thousand men to "put down the rebel- 
lion," of which Virginia was to give her quota to 
force her sisters of the South into obedience to 
Federal authority. She must at once decide on her 
own course, and she did decide to leave the Federal 
Union, and having decided according to her 
thorough conviction of right, she did it by an over- 
whelming vote, and threw her whole influence on 
the Southern side. And now she stood ready to 
bare her breast to the impending storm which must 
sweep over and desolate her from the Potomac to 
the Roanoke — from Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio 
and Big Sandy rivers. Her sons were ready at the 
tap of the drum to rush to her defence, and her 
daughters, with scarcely less patriotism, at once 
came forward to take their parts in the great trials 
that awaited them. None but those who witnessed 
the efforts made by the Southern women in every 
State of the Confederacy, can realize all that was 
done and suffered by them in behalf of a cause 
which seemed to them so just and righteous. In 



48 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

every city, town, village or country neighborhood, 
they met together in societies with but one object in 
view — to aid the soldiers. Fair and delicate hands 
from the highest walks of life were engaged in cut- 
ting and sewing the coarsest clothing, knitting socks, 
and scraping lint for wounds not yet made. Self- 
denial was added to industry ; delicacies were given 
up ; extravagance of dress, and luxurious ease were 
abandoned. Throughout the four years they never 
ceased their efforts. The battles being fought, the 
hospitals demanded their attention — binding up 
the wounds, soothing the sick, comforting the dis- 
tressed, praying with the dying, became their mis- 
sion ; and nobly did they fulfil it. The mothers 
of Sparta, the matrons of Rome, the Florence Night- 
ingales of England, all belonged to the morally 
sublime; but no women could have excelled the 
mothers, the wives, the daughters and sisters of our 
lamented Southern Confederacy. The South was, as 
it were, walled around by the blockade. She must 
depend on herself. Alone and unaided by the out- 
side world, nothing was left to her but her own 
strength, and her calm reliance on the mercy and 
justice of God. While her daughters buckled on 
the armor of those dearer to them than life itself, 
they did it with firm hands and prayerful hearts; 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 49 

and though the unbidden tear might start, the en- 
couraging word and cheering smile were freely 
given. The loved ones would depart with a cheer- 
ful and heartfelt "God bless you" ringing in their 
ears, while the blanched lips which uttered it would 
in another moment be pouring out for them in 
secret the "cry of faith to the ear of mercy." 

Virginia being fairly out of the Union, Robert E. 
Lee, now in Washington, had a solemn question to 
decide, and one which stirred up the purest and 
deepest feelings of his great heart. Must he resign, 
and give up the flag under which he had been born 
and educated, had fought and bled, and under 
which he had gained laurels which could never 
wither ? Must he leave his old comrades in arms, and 
his old commander General Scott, and fight against 
them? Or must he draw his sword against his 
mother, Virginia, against his home and kindred ? 
The decision with most men would have been diffi- 
cult — doubts and fears would have disturbed them, 
but with him the governing motive of his life came 
to his aid. He must do right, and on this great oc- 
casion he knew the right, and unhesitatingly pursued 
it. Every argument which General Scott could offer 
was powerless to shake his resolution to resign. In 
answer to his urgent appeals, he replied, "lam com- 
5 D 



50 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

pelled to do it. I cannot consult my feelings in this 
matter." "My husband," wrote Mrs. Lee to a 
friend, about this time, ' ' has wept tears of blood 
over this terrible war ; but he must, as a man and 
as a Virginian, share the destiny of his State, which 
has solemnly pronounced for independence." Ac- 
cordingly, he wrote from Arlington, on the 20th of 
April, 1 86 1, the following letter to General Scott, 
enclosing his resignation : 

Arlington, Va., April 20th, 1861. 
General : — Since my interview with you on the 
1 8th instant, I have felt that I ought not longer to 
retain my commission in the army. I therefore ten- 
der my resignation, which I request that you will 
recommend for acceptance. It would have been 
presented at once, but for the struggle it has cost me 
to separate "myself from a service to which I have 
devoted the best years of my life, and all the ability 
I possessed. During the whole of that time — more 
than a quarter of a century — I have experienced 
nothing but kindness from my superiors, and the 
most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no 
one, General, have I been as much indebted as to 
yourself for uniform kindness and consideration ; 
and it has always been my ardent desire to merit 
your approbation. I shall carry to my grave the 
most grateful recollections of your kind considera- 
tion ; and your name and fame will always be dear 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 51 

to me. Save in defence of my native State, I never 
desire again to draw my sword. Be pleased to 
accept my most earnest wishes for the continuance 
of your happiness and prosperity, and believe me, 
Most truly yours, 

R. E. Lee. 

Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott, 

Commanding United States Army. 

In an affectionate, letter written the same day to 
a sister, who, with her husband, remained in the 
Union, he says : 

"I know that you will blame me; but you must 
think of me as kindly as you can, and believe that 
I have endeavored to do what I thought right." 





CHAPTER VII. 

LEE GOES TO VIRGINIA, AND IS MADE COMMANDER 
OF HER FORCES. 

HAD General Lee been ambitious, he would 
have remained in the Union. He was re- 
garded by the whole Federal Government, as well 
as General Scott, as the most promising officer in 
the army. General Preston, in the speech already 
quoted, says he remembered when General Scott 
used these remarkable words : " I tell you one thing, 
if I were on my dying bed, and knew there was to 
be a battle fought for the liberties of my country, 
and the President was to say to me, ' Scott, who 
shall command ? ' I tell you, that with my dying 
breath I should say, Robert Lee ; nobody but 
Robert Lee, Robert Lee, and nobody but Lee." 
Therefore, it is certain that the highest military 
honors awaited him. It is believed that the Presi- 
dent offered him the command of the whole Union 

52 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 53 

army. He also knew that in going South, he was 
going into a great military struggle which seemed 
almost hopeless — ■ and that he must give wealth for 
poverty, and be proclaimed a traitor to the world 
by the Government which had been so dear to him. 
Arlington, too, the beautiful home of his family, 
must be left in the hands of the enemy. We have 
seen it in its wonderful, picturesque beauty, with its 
sloping lawns, its grand old oaks and -maples, its 
noble portico, from which we enjoyed the view of 
the blue Potomac, with the cities of Washington and 
Georgetown laid out before it. Adorning its ample 
halls were innumerable relics brought from Mount 
Vernon by the father of Mrs. Lee, the adopted son 
of Washington. Here were to be found the original 
portraits of General and Mrs. Washington, painted 
about the time of their marriage. Here also was 
the original portrait of General Washington, painted 
by Sharpless, a distinguished English artist who 
painted in crayons. Many other pictures, and 
several "pieces of the old furniture from Mount 
Vernon were there ; the candelabra which had 
given it light; the tea-table at which Mrs. Wash- 
ington had always presided. The china presented 
to Mrs. Washington by certain English merchants, 

on which was her monogram ; that given to General 

5* 



54 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Washington by the Society of the Cincinnati ; a 
book-case made by General Washington's own direc- 
tion ; and above all, the bedstead, bed, and pillows 
on which the Father of his country breathed out 
his precious life — all these and far more were left 
to the uncertain future. 

Mrs. Lee and her daughters were soon obliged to 
follow him, and take refuge in the interior of Virginia, 
among friends, until another home could be provided 
for them. His two sons, who were officers in the 
army, like their noble father, soon resigned, to cast 
their lot in with the young Confederacy ; while his 
younger son, a mere youth, went, with so many of 
the first young men of the country, into the ranks of 
the Southern army. 

As soon as the news" of Lee's resignation reached 
Richmond, Governor Letcher conferred on him the 
rank of Major-General, and the command of the Vir- 
ginia forces, as authorized by the Virginia Legisla- 
ture. This' appointment was not solicited by Colonel 
Lee; but he did not feel at liberty to decline it. It 
was confirmed by the Convention, and the decision 
of that body was communicated to him on the 23d 
of April, by John Janney, its President. 

General Lee stood in the middle aisle of the legis- 
lative hall of the capitol, and the President thus 
addressed him: 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 55 

1 

"Major-General Lee : — In the name of the 
people of your native State, here represented, I 
bid you a cordial and heartfelt welcome to this 
hall, in which we may almost yet hear the echo of 
the voices of the statesmen, the soldiers, and sages 
of by-gone days, who have borne your name, and 
whose blood now flows in your veins 

"When the necessity became apparent of having 
a leader for our forces, all hearts and eyes, by the 
impulse of an instinct, which is a surer guide than 
reason itself, turned to the old county of West- 
moreland. We knew how prolific she had been in 
other days of heroes and statesmen. We knew she 
had given birth to the Father of his country, to 
Richard Henry Lee, to Monroe, and last, though 
not least, to your own gallant father; and we knew 
well, by your deeds, that her productive power was 
not yet exhausted 

" Sir, one of the proudest recollections of my life 
will be the honor that I yesterday had of submitting 
to this body the confirmation of the nomination, 
made by the Governor of this State, of you as Com- 
mander-in-Chief of the military and naval forces 
of this Commonwealth. I rose to put the question ; 
and when I asked if this body would advise and 
consent to that appointment, there rushed from the 
hearts to the tongues of all the members an affirma- 
tive response, which told., with an emphasis that 
could leave hd doubt, of the feeling whence it ema- 



$6 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

nated. I put the negative of the question for form's 
sake, but there was an unbroken silence. 

" Sir, we have, by this unanimous vote, expressed 
our convictions that you are at this day, among the 
living citizens of Virginia, ' first in war.' We pray 
God most fervently that you may so conduct the 
operations committed to your charge that it may soon 
be said of you that you are ' first in peace ; ' and 
when the time comes, you will have earned the still 
prouder distinction of being ' first in the hearts of 
your countrymen.' 

"I will close with one more remark. When the 
Father of his country made his last will and testa- 
ment, he gave swords to his favorite nephews, with 
an injunction that they should never be drawn from 
their scabbards except in self-defence, or in defence 
of the rights and liberties of their country ; and 
that if drawn for the latter purpose, they should 
fall with them in their hands, rather than relinquish 
them. 

"Yesterday, your mother, Virginia, placed her 
sword in your hand, upon the implied condition, 
that we know you will keep to the letter and in 
spirit, that you will draw it only in her defence, 
and that you will fall with it in your hand rather 
than the object for which it was placed there shall 
fail." 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 57 

To this address, General Lee replied : 

" Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Con- 
vention : — Profoundly impressed with the solemnity 
of the occasion, for which I must say I was not pre- 
pared, I accept the position assigned me by your 
partiality. I would have much preferred your 
choice had fallen upon an abler man. Trusting in 
Almighty God, an approving conscience, and the 
aid of my fellow-citizens, I devote myself to the 
service of my native State, in whose behalf alone 
will I ever again draw my sword." 

General Lee at once began the task of organizing 
the State forces, and putting the country in a state 
of defence. The duty was performed within a short 
time, and with great success. On the 6th of May, 
Virginia became a member of the Confederate 
States, and transferred her forces to the Govern- 
ment; and on the 10th, General Lee was ordered 
by the President to retain the command of the Vir- 
ginia forces until the military organization of the 
Confederacy was placed on a firm basis. In July, 
1 86 1, he was made a General in the army of the 
Confederate States. General Lee, with characteris- 
tic modesty, sought no notoriety, but was always 
contented to do his duty in the situation in which 



58 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

he was placed. At a later period of the war he 
uttered the sentiment which always influenced him, 
when he said, " I will take any position the country 
assigns to me, and do the best I can." 

When the war commenced in April, 1861, Lee was 
fifty-three years old, in the full vigor of his manhood. 
His figure was erect, with the military air of the 
professed soldier, derived from his West Point edu- 
cation and service in the army. We well remember 
the grave dignity of his elegant deportment, in- 
creased tenfold afterwards by high command and 
great responsibilities. He had always been remark- 
able for manly beauty of face and figure, which was 
now particularly striking, before time had implanted 
wrinkles, or care gray hairs ; his moustache was dark 
and heavy ; he then wore no beard ; and his fresh 
color was indicative of robust health. His habits 
were now as they ever were, temperate in all things, 
rarely drinking so much as a single glass of wine ; 
and his indifference about what he ate became no- 
torious in the army. His abstaining from the " sol- 
dier's comfort," smoking and chewing, throughout 
the war, was a matter of intense surprise to the men. 
He seemed now, as at West Point and in Mexico, 
superior to those habits to which the soldier is so 
prone. The truttf and frankness of his character, 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 59 

his warm heart, generosity and honesty, were won- 
derfully expressed in his fine open countenance and 
simple, unassuming manners. Such was General 
Lee in person and manner in the beginning of the 
war. He seemed then a man of great reserve ; he 
was quiet and thoughtful. His mind was evidently 
full of the responsibilities of his position. How 
could it have been otherwise ? He did not enter 
upon it lightly, but in the fear of God ; he had» 
undertaken a great work, and with God alone for 
his guide, he must pursue it with diligence and 
gravity. The truth and honesty of his character 
seem well expressed in a letter to his eldest son, 
written many years ago, but which every boy 
and girl in this country should study until the sen- 
timents expressed become engrafted upon their very 
natures : 

' ' You must study, ' ' he wrote, " to be frank with the 
world ; frankness is the child of honesty and courage. 
Say just what you mean to do on every occasion, and 
take it for granted you mean to do right. If a friend 
ask a favor, you should grant it, if it is reasonable ; 
if not, tell him plainly why you cannot. You will 
wrong him and wrong yourself by equivocation of 
any kind. Never do wrong to make a friend or 
keep one ; the man who requires you to do so is 



60 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

dearly purchased at a sacrifice. Deal kindly but 
firmly with all your classmates ; you will find it the 
policy which wears best. Above all, do not appear 
to others what you are not. If you have any fault 
to find with any one, tell him, not others, of what 
you complain ; there is no more dangerous experi- 
ment than that of undertaking to be one thing be- 
fore a man's face and another behind his back. 
We should live, act, and say nothing to the injury 
of any one. It is not only best as a matter of prin- 
ciple, but it is the path to peace and honor. 

"In regard to duty, let me, in conclusion of this 
hasty letter, inform you that nearly a hundred years 
ago there was a day of remarkable gloom and dark- 
ness — still known as ' the dark day,' — a day when 
the light of the sun was slowly extinguished as if 
by an eclipse. The Legislature of Connecticut was 
in session, and its members saw the unexpected and 
unaccountable darkness coming on. They shared in 
the general awe and terror. It was supposed by 
many that the last day had come. Some one, in the 
consternation of the hour, moved an adjournment. 
Then there arose an old Puritan legislator, Daven- 
port, of Stamford, and said that if the last day had 
come, he desired to be found at his place doing his 
duty, and therefore moved that candles be brought 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 6l 

in, so that the House could proceed with its duty. 
There was quietness in that man's mind, the quiet- 
ness of heavenly wisdom and inflexible willingness to 
obey present duty. Duty, then, is the sublimest word 
in our language. Do your duty in all things, like the 
old Puritan. You cannot do more ; you should 
never do less. Never let me and your mother 
wear one gray hair for any lack of duty on your 
part." 

Such were the sentiments by which he wished his 
young son to be governed at school, and in his 
whole conduct during life such were the sentiments 
which governed the father ; hence the greatness, the 
sublimity of his character ; hence his calmness and 
resolution under his greatest difficulties ; hence, 
when the cause for which he had given up all 
things, and which was so dear to him, failed ; when 
his heart was near breaking for his country's sorrow, 
he stood calm and resigned in the midst of general 
disaster ; for, like the old Puritan, he was in his 
place, doing his duty. He was a true Christian ; 
his Christianity ennobled him, and made his path 
clear to him wherever he was, in whatever engaged. 
He ever felt that God watched over him, and would 
1 ' make all things work together for good to those 

who loved him." 
6 



62 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

What other feeling would have given rise to that 
more than noble expression, " Human virtue should 
be equal to human calamity," when all was lost, 
and when the minds of other men seemed sinking 
under sorrow and disappointment. He knew that 
he had " done what he could," and God enabled 
him to bear the cruel defeat. 



* 





^1^^ 



CHAPTER VIII. 

GENERAL LEE IN RICHMOND PUTTING IT IN A 
STATE OF DEJ^NCE. 

THE war having fairly commenced, we must 
trace rapidly his progress. He was not on 
the field during the first few months of the war, but 
at his post in Richmond, using mighty efforts to put 
Virginia in a state of defence. He knew that from 
her geographical position, she must be the bat- 
tle-field for immense armies. The Government 
called for troops, and the "raw material/' men full 
of patriotism and valor, but without military train- 
ing, poured into Richmond every day ; training- 
camps were established, and officers who had had 
military educations appointed to drill them. In 
every town in the South, nothing was heard but the 
din of military preparations ; but Richmond, now 
the Confederate Capital, was the busiest point of 

63 



CJ 



64 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

all. The Federal Government threatened her. 
General Scott proposed taking his Fourth - of - July- 
dinner there. The "On to Richmond" became 
the battle-cry of the Federal army, and therefore, 
to put the strategic points of the State, as well as the 
city, in a posture of defence, became his imperative 
duty. Volunteer regiments from the Gulf States, 
from Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia sprang 
up like magic. Tennessee and Arkansas contributed 
noble soldiers ; and even Kentucky and Maryland, in 
despite of their governments, afforded regiments as 
valorous as any that ennobled the Confederate 
army — men of daring, who were obliged to leave 
their own borders by stealth to avoid arrest. But 
all these men must be drilled, armed, and equipped; 
arms were few and ammunition scarce. It required 
great minds and indomitable energies to have these 
wants supplied. Workshops for the manufacture of 
arms and ammunition arose speedily, and in an 
incredibly short time Virginia was ready to receive 
the mighty demonstrations of the Federal Govern- 
ment. 

General Lee was at the helm planning and organ- 
izing, and, when occasion arose, sending troops to 
the field ; the strategic points were made strong, 
and three steamers were converted into vessels of 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 6$ 

war. Skirmishing was going on at various points, 
but the first engagement of any importance took 
place on the ioth of June, at Big Bethel, between 
Yorktown and Hampton, in which Colonel Magru- 
der, by skill and strategy, signally defeated General 
Butler. This affair was small in itself, but very 
encouraging to the Confederates. Then followed 
the brief campaign of General Joe Johnston and 
Patterson in the Valley, in which the South was suc- 
cessful; but it was soon followed by the defeat of 
Colonel Pegram, and the death of the gallant Gen- 
eral Robert Garnett during his retreat from Laurel 
Ridge. Then came the great battle of Manassas, 
involving, perhaps, the most signal defeat with 
which the Federals met during the war. Generals 
Beauregard and Joe Johnston there won laurels 
which can never fade ; and there the revered Gen- 
eral Jackson, then merely a Brigadier, was first called 
"Stonewall," because his brigade, always noted for 
its bravery, stood as immovable as a stone wall to 
receive the showers of shot and shell with which 
the enemy assailed it. "See," said the gallant 
General Bee, of Georgia, while encouraging his 
troops, "see, Jackson stands like a stone wall to 
repel the invaders." General Lee's place, then, was 

in Richmond, sending off reinforcements to the 
6* E 



66 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

field, and completing those fortifications which 
elicited the admiration even of the Federal officers. 
"While the fortifications of Richmond stand," writes 
a Northern officer, "Lee will evoke admiration; 
the art of war is unacquainted with any defence so 
admirable." 

General Lee was first sent to the field in the 
summer of 1861, to operate against "General 
Rosecrans in the mountains of Western Virginia. 
Soon after getting there, he found that the nature 
of the country, wild and mountainous in the ex- 
treme, and the hostility of many of the inhabitants 
to the Southern cause, made it impossible to make 
an offensive movement." 

"The movement against Cheat Mountain, which 
failed," wrote one of his officers, "was under- 
taken with the view of causing the enemy to con- 
tract his lines, and to enable us to reunite the 
troops of Generals Jackson, of Georgia, and Lor- 
ing. After the failure of this movement on our 
part, General Rosecrans, feeling secure, strength- 
ened his lines in that part of the country, and 
went with a part of his forces to the Kanawha, 
driving our forces across the Gauley. General Lee 
then went to that line of operations, to endeavor to 
unite the forces under Generals Floyd and Wise, 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 6j 

and stop the movements under Rosecrans. General 
Loring, with a part of his force from Valley Moun- 
tain, joined the forces at Sewell Mountain. Rose- 
crans's movements were stopped, and the season for 
operations in that country being over, General Lee 
was ordered to Richmond, and soon after sent to 
South Carolina, to meet the movements of the enemy 
from 'Port Royal,' etc. His engineering skill in 
fortifying the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia 
was highly appreciated by the people of those States ; 
and it was owing to the admirable construction of 
those defences, that the Federal efforts in that quarter 
afterwards met with so little success. They had 
already taken possession of Port Royal, and were 
threatening the interior." 

General Lee was recalled to Richmond in the 
early spring of 1862, and on the 10th of March, 
duty was assigned him at the seat of Government, 
and under the direction of the President, he was 
charged with the conduct of the military opera- 
tions of the Confederate armies. He was very 
popular in his new position ; fresh life was at once 
infused into the Government, and the military 
situation at once seemed to grow brighter. His 
courtesy, and entire simplicity of manner, were 
now peculiarly apparent. Some persons seemed to 



68 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

expect him to make a great military display, and 
could scarcely realize that the plain, quiet gentle- 
man who rode daily about the lines of Richmond, 
clad in simple gray, was "bending all the energies 
of a genius second to none in the world, to one 
of the most arduous tasks that ever tried the skill 
and patience of a soldier." He remained in this 
position a very short time ; circumstances soon 
transpired which called him to the field, and the 
President, at his request, relieved him from the 
general control of all the armies. The moment 
had come when his generalship was to be tested 
by a command worthy of his great abilities. The 
largest and most important army was put under his 
control, and the defence of Richmond, the capital 
of the Confederacy. 

His family, in the meantime had been living 
at the "White House," on the Pamunkey River. 
This fine estate had been the property of Mrs. 
General Washington, the grandmother of Mrs. 
Lee, and was still owned by her immediate family. 
It was in this house, made so famous during the war 
by becoming a favorable "base" for the Federals, 
that Washington had wooed and won the fascinating 
Mrs. Custis; and it was either in this house, or in the 
neighborhood church, the venerable " St. Peter's," 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 69 

that he afterwards married her. There Mrs. Lee 
and her young daughters took refuge, after it had 
become necessary for them to leave Arlington, vainly 
hoping to be safe from intrusion and danger. It 
was in June of 1862, when the Federal army was 
moving towards Richmond from the Peninsula, that 
she received intelligence that the enemy was ap- 
proaching. She and her daughters immediately 
departed to the house of a friend, nearer Richmond, 
but not until she had affixed a paper to the door, 
imploring the Northern soldiers to forbear to dese- 
crate the house in which Washington had spent the 
first part of his married life, and signed it, "A 
grand-daughter of Mrs. Washington." This re- 
quest was then respected; but in 1865, when it was 
no longer necessary for their purposes, it was burned 
to the ground by Federal soldiers. Let us, in the 
spirit of charity, hope that those who applied the 
torch were ignorant of its history. 







CHAPTER IX. 

GENERAL LEE BECOMES COMMANDER OF THE 
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 

IT was at the battle of "Fair Oaks," the day 
after the glorious battle of " Seven Pines," that 
General Joseph E. Johnston received so severe a 
wound in his shoulder, from the fragment of a shell, 
as to render it impossible for him to retain the com- 
mand of the army. To supply the loss of one so 
beloved and confided in by the soldiers, all eyes 
turned upon General Lee. The confidence of the 
authorities, and of the people at large, in his abilities 
was unbounded ; and while they deeply regretted the 
loss of General Johnston, and while the soldiers 
sorrowed much for the necessity of giving up their 
old commander, yet the people of Richmond, at 
least, breathed more freely when they knew that 
their safety was intrusted to their own able and God- 
fearing General. How he defended their city and 

70 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. /I 

the Confederate cause, through a long series of 
bloody battles, assisted by that great Christian sol- 
dier, as God-fearing as himself, the wonderful Stone- 
wall Jackson, the brilliant young Christian cavalry 
officer, General J. E. B. Stuart, and an untold host 
of the bravest, best, most glorious warriors, both of 
the rank and file, which ever adorned the annals of 
a country's history, has been given by abler pens 
than ours. It is theirs to tell of the mighty military 
deeds which marked those seven days around Rich- 
mond ; it is ours to speak of our great leader as a 
Christian. 

It pleased the Almighty Ruler of events to give 
us Christians at the head of our affairs. In their 
prosperity they praised God for His mercies to 
them ; in their adversity they prayed to Him, and 
trusted in His goodness. We have seen our Presi- 
dent again and again bend his venerable head, and 
kneel humbly at the Lord's table, a recipient of the 
emblems of the body and blood of Christ, which 
are spiritually taken and received by the faithful in 
the Lord's Supper. Our Adjutant-General Cooper, 
and others of the living, walk humbly with their God, 
and what may not be said of Lee and Jackson, "who 
having fought the good fight, and finished their 
course," are now rejoicing in the rest prepared for 



J?2 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

the people of God. Though naturally men of 
very different temperaments, and members of differ- 
ent religious sects, their sentiments and their hearts 
were governed by the same living principle of duty 
to their Creator. "Remember the Sabbath day to 
keep it holy," was a command which seemed never 
to be forgotten by either. General Lee frequently 
issued Army Orders enjoining the observance of 
the Sabbath — commanding that nothing should be 
done but what was absolutely necessary for the sub- 
sistence or safety of the army, directing officers to 
give their men every facility for attending divine 
service, and urging all to make diligent use of the 
means of grace thus afforded them. He was always 
an example for good to those around him, whether 
at home or in the camp ; always attending public 
worship punctually on the Sabbath, and showing 
reverence for the day in every particular. It was 
his habit, under ordinary circumstances, never to 
read secular books, newspapers, or even letters on 
that day. In his immense and important corre- 
spondence, letters would often reach him on Sun- 
day which must be answered at once. He would 
open the letters to see if it was necessary to attend 
to them ; if not, they would be laid aside with the 
newspapers for inspection on Monday. The same 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 73 

conscientiousness was a striking characteristic of 
General Jackson. The observance of the Sabbath 
seemed never forgotten by him in the army. His 
habit of resting on that day while on a march, if it 
could be done with propriety, was universal, and, 
while in camp, having the gospel preached regu- 
larly at his headquarters. Like General Lee, he 
was extremely scrupulous about reading newspapers 
and letters. In writing to a friend upon the subject, 
he says: "For fifteen years I have refused to mail 
letters on the Sabbath, or take them out of the office 
on that day, except since I came into the field ; and 
so far from having to regret the course, it has been 
a source of true enjoyment. I have never sustained 
loss i?i observing what God enjoins. My rule is to 
let the mails remain unopened, unless they contain 
a dispatch." He never read a letter of friendship 
or compliment on Sunday, "for his Sabbaths," says 
his biographer, "were sacredly reserved from the 
smallest secular distractions." On one occasion, 
before he left Lexington, a letter, about which he 
felt deep interest, was received and placed carefully 
away. As he was walking to church with an inti- 
mate friend, he said to him : 

"Surely, Major, you have read your letter." 

"Assuredly not," said he. 
7 



74 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

" Where is it?" asked his friend. 

"Here," replied Major Jackson, tapping his 
pocket. 

" What obstinacy! " exclaimed the friend. "Do 
you not know that your curiosity to learn its con- 
tents will distract your attention during divine wor- 
ship far more than if you had read it? " 

"No," replied he. "I shall make the most 
faithful effort I can to govern my thoughts, and 
guard them from unnecessary distraction ; and as I 
do this from a sense of duty, I expect the Divine 
blessing upon it." And the letter was read and 
enjoyed on Monday morning. 

In yet another respect our two most distinguished 
Generals were alike in their habits. We have seen 
General Lee's marked abstemiousness in taking 
stimulating drinks. Jackson observed the same ab- 
stinence. Thus, when reconnoitring the enemy's 
front on one occasion in the winter of 1862, when 
prudence forbade the use of fire, he became so chilled 
that a medical attendant, in alarm for his safety, 
urged him to take some ardent spirit ; as there was 
nothing else at hand, he agreed to it. As he ex- 
perienced a difficulty in swallowing it, his friend 
asked him if it was very unpleasant. "No," said 
he; "no. I like it; I always did, and that is the 






THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 75 

reason I never use it." At another time, he took a 
long exhausting walk with a brother officer, who was 
also a temperate, godly man. The walk terminated 
at his quarters. He proposed to General Jackson, 
in consequence of his fatigue, to join him in a glass 
of brandy and water. "No," said he; "I am 
much obliged to you ; I never use it. I am more 
afraid of it than I am of Federal bullets." Another 
point of resemblance was that habit of not only 
feeling, but of expressing their trust in and- their 
dependence on an over-ruling Providence under all 
circumstances. It seems strange, indeed, that this 
habit is not more general among men professing 
and calling themselves Christians ; but alas, alas, it 
is too often neglected ! General Lee and General 
Jackson both ascribed glory to God for all bless- 
ings, and looked to Him prayerfully in all danger. 
They were both eminently men of prayer and faith ; 
in every general order, in every report of victory, 
each gave glory to God for success, and each ex- 
pressed submission to His will in the hour of defeat. 

The first care of General Lee, on taking charge 
of the army, was to put it in a condition for an 
effective campaign. By the 20th of June, he brought 
the strength of the army of Northern Virginia to 
upwards of seventy thousand men. 



7 6 



At first, the appointment of General Lee was not 
popular in the army. It had great confidence in 
General Johnston, and was devotedly attached to 
him ; and the partial failure of the Western Virginia 
campaign had placed General Lee somewhat under 
a cloud with the soldiers, and they were not willing 
to be permanently separated from their old com- 
mander. The people at large, and the soldiers, 
were ignorant of the great character of the man in 
whose hands the fate of the army was now placed ; 
but it was not long before this feeling of doubt and 
uncertainty gave place to the most unbounded ad- 
miration and love for him, and by the end of June, 
it is thought that the troops would have mutinied, 
had he been taken from them. Never was the master 
mind of Lee more actively called forth than In this 
great campaign. If " success is the test of merit," 
as said the lamented Albert Sydney Johnston, then 
was our cause in the hands of the most meritorious 
officers and men that ever adorned the pages of 
history. 

Never was there a more desperate conflict than 
that which, for seven days, crimsoned the wooded 
and swampy banks of the sluggish Chickahominy. 
To take Richmond was the burning desire of the 
Northern Government, and every city, town, 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 77 

and village within the boundaries of its mighty- 
territory, entered warmly into the feeling. A host, 
innumerable for multitude, splendidly equipped, 
attended by all the "pomp and circumstance of 
grim-visaged war," were led on by the then idol of 
the North, the brave McClellan. The South had to 
oppose them with an army not to be compared in 
number or equipment, but composed of men of 
brave, determined hearts, fired by as pure and ex- 
alted patriotism as ever animated the breast of man ; 
who fought, as they believed, for liberty or death, 
led on by gallant and heroic chieftains, among them 
that brilliant cavalry officer, J. E. B. Stuart, with a 
body of cavalry not a man of which but was eager 
to begin the fight. He had lately returned from 
that daring reconnoissance which, in compliance 
with General Lee's orders, he had undertaken and 
accomplished with a picked force. They left Rich- 
mond on the 1 2th of June, and returned to it on the 
evening of the 14th. Besides gaining reliable and 
definite information concerning the position and 
strength of the Federal army, he had captured many 
prisoners, horses, and mules, and a number of small 
arms, and inflicted on the enemy the loss of millions 
of dollars in the destruction of stores. All this was 
done with the loss of but one man, the lamented 
7* 



78 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Captain Latane, whose body was rescued from the 
enemy by his brother, who, at the risk of being 
captured, placed it in a mill-cart, took it to a 
neighboring house and left it in the hands of ladies, 
who, having dressed it for the grave with the tender- 
ness of sisters, gave it Christian burial in a family 
burying-ground, by the side of a brother soldier. 
This was done fearlessly by devoted women in the 
sight of the enemy, who were picketing around the 
plantation on which they lived, with no Confederate 
near them of proper age to bear arms. 

The troops behaved nobly. They were in the 
saddle from Thursday morning until Saturday even- 
ing, never stopping for rest or food, except a brief 
halt on Thursday night; and this "ride around 
McClellan," as the soldiers called it, must ever be 
regarded as one of the most brilliant feats ever per- 
formed by cavalry, — the result of which determined 
General Lee's plan of attack, and his arrangements 
were made accordingly. 

The glorious Seven Days came and passed away. 
The carnage was over. McClellan had been forced 
to retire to the protection of his gun-boats, thirty 
miles below Richmond. The city was safe, and we 
fondly hoped that the war would end ; but the end 
was not yet. General Lee depicts the glory of the 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 79 

victory in his address to the army while in front of 
McClellan's position on James River. President 
Davis had been on the field constantly during six 
days, and had witnessed the conduct of the army. 
He then tendered to it the thanks of the country in 
the following address : 

To the Army of Northern Virginia. 

Soldiers : — I congratulate you on the series of 
brilliant victories which, under Divine Providence, 
you have lately won-; and, as President of the Con- 
federate States, do heartily tender to you the thanks 
of the country, whose just cause you have so skilfully 
and heroically served. Ten days ago, an invading 
army, greatly superior to you in numbers and in the 
material of war, closely beleaguered your Capital, 
and vauntingly proclaimed its speedy conquest. You 
marched to attack the enemy in his intrenchments .; 
with well-directed movements and death -defying 
valor you charged him in his strong positions, drove 
him from field to field over a distance of more than 
thirty-five miles, and, despite his reinforcements, 
compelled him to seek safety under cover of his gun- 
boats, where he now lies cowering before the army 
so lately derided and threatened with entire subjuga- 
tion. The fortitude with which you have borne toil 
and privation, the gallantry with which you have 
entered into each successive battle, must have been 
witnessed to be fully appreciated ; but a grateful 



80 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

people will not fail to recognize your deeds, and to 
bear you in loved remembrance. Well may it be 
said of you that you have "done enough for glory; " 
but duty to a suffering country, and to the cause of 
constitutional liberty, claims from you yet further 
efforts. Let it be your pride to relax in nothing 
which can promote your future efficiency, — your one 
great object being to drive the invader from your soil, 
carrying your standards beyond the outer boundary 
of the Confederacy, to wring from an unscrupulous 
foe the recognition of your birthright — community 
independence. 

(Signed,) Jefferson Davis. 








CHAPTER X. 

BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 

THE beleaguered city, our beautiful Richmond, 4 
was then filled with refugees, soldiers' fami- 
lies, and sick *and wounded soldiers, which had 
almost doubled its population. We well remember 
how full of excitement every one seemed, and yet 
how calm ; nor was it the calmness of despair, but 
of confidence in the valor of our troops, and in the 
blessing of God on a just cause. This feeling was 
not a little enhanced by the entire confidence which 
was everywhere felt in the guiding spirit of the army. 
There was an abiding feeling of security in having 
him so near us. 

The ever memorable 27th of June, 1862, was a 
day of intense excitement in the city and its sur- 
roundings. Early in the morning it was whispered 
that some great movement was on foot. Large 
numbers of troops were seen under arms await- 
F 81 



32 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

ing orders. A. P. Hill's division occupied the 
hills overlooking the "Meadow Bridge," about 
five miles from the city. About three o'clock the 
order to move was given. The Fortieth Virginia 
led the advance. The enemy's pickets were imme- 
diately across the Chickahominy, and the men 
thought they were in heavy force of cavalry and 
infantry, and that the. passage of the bridge would 
be hazardous in the extreme ; yet their courage did 
not fail. The gallant Fortieth, followed by Pe- 
gram's Battery, rushed across the bridge at double- 
quick, and drove the enemy's pickets from their 
posts. The enemy was driven rapidly down the 
river to Mechanicsville, where the battle was raging 
fiercely. At nine o'clock all was quiet ; the bloody 
struggle was over for the day. 

" Our victory," says a diary kept in Richmond 
during the time, "was glorious, but not complete. 
The streets were thronged to a late hour, to catch 
the last accounts from couriers and spectators return- 
ing from the field. The sickening sight of the am- 
bulances bringing in the wounded met the eye at 
every turn. The President and many others were on 
the surrounding hills during the fight, deeply in- 
terested spectators. The calmness of the people 
during the progress of the battle was marvellous. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 83 

The balloons of the enemy hovering over the battle- 
field could be distinctly seen from the outskirts of the 
city, and the sound of musketry as distinctly heard. 
All were anxious, but none alarmed for the fate of 
the city. From the firing of the first gun till the 
close of the battle, every spot favorable for ob- 
servation was crowded. The tops of the Exchange, 
the Ballard House, the Capitol, and almost every 
tall house, were covered with human beings ; and 
after nightfall, the commanding hills from the 
President's house to the Almshouse were like a vast 
amphitheatre covered with men, women, and chil- 
dren witnessing the grand display of fireworks — 
beautiful, yet awful, and sending death among those 
whom our souls hold so dear. It was a scene of 
unsurpassed magnificence, the brilliant light of 
bombs bursting in the air and passing to the 
ground. The lights emitted by thousands and thou- 
sands of muskets, together with the roar of artillery 
and the rattling of small arms, constituted a scene 
terrific, grand, and imposing. What spell has bound 
our people? Is their trust in God, in their General, 
and in the valor of their troops, so great that they 
are unmoved by these terrible demonstrations of our 
powerful foe ? It would seem so ; for when the bat- 
tle was over, the crowd dispersed and returned to 



84 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

their respective homes with the apparent tranquillity 
of persons who had been witnessing a panorama of 
transactions in a far-off country, in which they had 
no personal interest ; though they knew that their 
countrymen slept on their arms, only awaiting the 
dawn to renew the deadly conflict, on the success 
of which depended not only the fate of our city, but 
of that splendid army containing the material on 
which our happiness depends. A crowd was out 
of those who were too restless and nervous to stay 
at home ; but ah, how many full, sorrowful hearts 
were in their chambers besieging Heaven with prayers 
for our success, or else were busy in the hospitals 
administering to the wounded and dying." 

The diary continues : 

" 28th, 10 o'clock at night. Another day of 
terrible excitement in our beleaguered city. From 
early dawn the cannon has been roaring around us. 
Our success has been glorious ! The citizens, gentle- 
men as well as ladies, have been fully occupied in 
the hospitals General Jackson has joined Gen- 
eral Lee, and nearly the whole army on both sides 
are engaged. The carnage is frightful. The enemy 
had retired before our troops to their strong works 
near Gaines's Mill. Brigade after brigade of our 
brave men were hurled against them, and repulsed 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 85 

in disorder. General Lee was heard to say to Gen- 
eral Jackson, ' The fighting is desperate. Can our 
men stand it ? ' Jackson replied : ' General, I know 
our boys; they will never give back.' In a short 
time a large part of our force was brought up in one 
grand attack, and then the enemy was entirely 

routed Visions of the battle-field have haunted 

me all day. Our loved ones, whether friends or 
strangers, — all Southern soldiers are dear to us, — 
lying dead or dying ; the wounded in the hot sun ; 
the dead hastily buried. McClellan is said to be 
retreating. ( Praise the Lord, O my soul ! ' " 

"June 30th. McClellan certainly retreating. We 
begin to breathe more freely; but he fights as he goes. 
Oh, that he may be surrounded before he gets to the 
gun-boats ! Rumors are flying about that he is sur- 
rounded ; but we do not believe it, — only hope that 
it may be so, before he reaches the river. The city 
is sad because of the dead and wounded ; but our 
hearts are filled with gratitude to God for His 
mercies. The end is not yet ; oh, that it were ! 
Richmond is disenthralled — the only Federals here 
are in the Libby and other prisons." 

This journal gives the true idea of the confidence 

felt by the people in' their Generals and army, and 

above in the blessing of God on a cause which we 
8 



86 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

believed to be righteous, and for which we were not 
afraid to ask His help. We knew that our command- 
ing General looked to God for His guidance, and we 
believed that it would be granted him. 

The Rev. Dr. Dabney, in his Life of Jackson, 
says: "The demeanor of the citizens during the 
evening (June 26th), gave us an example of their 
courage, and their faith in their leaders and their 
cause. 

"For many weeks the Christians of the city had 
given themselves to prayer ; and they drew from 
Heaven a sublime composure. The spectator pass- 
ing through the streets saw the people calmly engaged 
in their usual avocations, or else wending their way 
to the churches, while the thunders of the cannon 
shook the city. As the calm summer evening de- 
scended, the family groups were seen sitting upon 
the door-steps, where mothers told the children at 
their knees how Lee and his heroes were now driv- 
ing away the invaders. The young people prome- 
naded the heights north of the town, and watched 
the distant shells bursting against the sky. At one 
church a solemn cavalcade stood waiting; and if the 
observer had entered, saying to himself, < This funeral 
reminds me that Death claims all seasons for his own, 
and refuses to postpone his dread rites for any in- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 8? 

ferior honors,' he would have found a bridal at the 
altar ! The heart of old Rome was not more assured 
or steadfast, when she sold for full price in her 
Forum the field on which the Carthaginian was 
encamped." 

Such were the correct statements of the situation 
of Richmond during these days of bloodshed. 
Prayer was the vital breath of every Christian in the 
city, and God gave them strength to bear their own 
sorrows, and to minister to the necessities of others. 

About the 8th of July the troops were allowed to 
go into camp to rest, after their wonderfully suc- 
cessful campaign. Thus had General Lee, in the 
beginning of his career, been instrumental in saving 
the Capital of the Confederacy. The people lauded 
and almost worshipped him as their deliverer. He 
received the homage with the quiet and calm dignity 
which always characterized him. He never showed 
great elation, but the gravity which became the great 
Christian leader, who felt the responsibility of his 
situation. He knew that he had a great work to do, 
and that what he had passed through was but the 
successful prelude to the eventful scenes which were 
before him. His country's very existence was at 
stake, and all eyes were turned on him with full 
confidence, as one competent to save it from threat- 



88 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

ened ruin. And nobly did he execute all that was 
in the power of man to that end ; and that he 
failed at last must be attributed to circumstances 
which could not be averted by human skill ! That 
he succeeded so long and so well is due to what 
appears to have been more than human genius, 
commanding armies which have been rarely equalled, 
never surpassed. 

General Lee remained near Richmond, observing 
the motions of General McCle'llan, when intelligence 
reached him of the movements on the upper waters 
of the Rappahannock. General Pope, with a large 
army, evidently designed a disastrous attack upon 
Gordonsville, at the junction of the two principal 
railroads. They were plundering, burning, and pro- 
ducing general disaster. General Jackson was im- 
mediately sent to stop their progress, with his corps 
consisting of Jackson's and Ewell's divisions. This 
has been called a "war of wits" between General 
Lee and the authorities at Washington. Lee watched 
Pope and McClellan to discover the real design of 
the enemy. General McClellan still remaining in- 
active, on the 27th of July A. P. Hill's division was 
sent to reinforce Jackson, who, on the 2d of August, 
attacked the enemy at Orange Court-House. 

On the 5th, McClellan made a demonstration 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 8q 

towards Malvern Hill, to prevent Lee sending rein- 
forcements to the Rappahannock. General Lee 
promptly went to meet him, and a slight engage- 
ment occurred at Curie's Neck; but the next morn- 
ing the Federal army had retired, and the whole 
movement proved to be a feint. The eagle eye of 
Lee now seeing that the real design of the enemy 
was upon the Rappahannock, he soon directed his 
attention to that quarter. General Jackson had 
already struck an important blow in attacking Pope 
at Cedar Run. The struggle was obstinate, but the 
Confederates were left in possession of the field. 
This success, and their slow but sure advance, 
alarmed the authorities at Washington. The Con- 
federates were approaching too near their city, and 
McClellan was hastily called from the James to the 
assistance of Pope. General Lee immediately sent 
large reinforcements to the Rappahannock, and soon 
after followed them. Then followed the wonderful 
flank movement which brought the armies in con- 
tact, and which resulted in the second victory on the 
plains of Maryland. Thus ended the great campaign 
of the summer of 1862, the whole success of which 
reflects never-dying lustre on the great mind which 
planned it. As usual, he gives glory to God for his 

successes. His announcement by telegraph runs thus : 
8* 



90 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

To President Davis. 

The army achieved, to-day, on the plains of 
Manassas, a signal victory over the combined forces 
of Pope and McClellan. On the 28th, 29th, and 
30th, each wing, under Generals Longstreet and 
Jackson, repulsed with valor attacks made by them 
separately. We mourn the loss of our gallant dead 
in every conflict, yet our gratitude to Almighty God 
for his mercies rises higher each day. To Him, 
and to the valor of our troops, a nation's gratitude 
is due. 

R. E. Lee. 

How well it is remembered with what heartfelt 
gratitude and joy these telegrams, signed R. E. Lee, 
filled us, when they brought good tidings, and with 
what sorrow, when the news was adverse ! Other 
telegrams might give false impressions — sometimes 
they were too elating, sometimes too desponding — 
but General Lee knew the truth, and dispassionately, 
and in the fear of God, gave it to the country. The 
President appointed Thursday, the 18th of Septem- 
ber, as a day of thanksgiving for our victories. He 
issued a beautiful "proclamation" on the subject. 
Every church of every denomination of Christians, 
that could be opened, was filled that day with grate- 
ful worshippers. Our leaders, and many of our 
people, were mindful of our dependence upon Provi- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 9I 

dence, and remembered that "when Moses held up 
his hand, then Israel prevailed, and when he let 
down his hand, then Amalek prevailed." And was 
it that our "hands were let down," that our cause 
was finally lost ? It is sad to think that it may have 
been so. Jackson and Stuart, and a host of Chris- 
tian soldiers, were taken from the evil to come, even 
in the flush of victory ; but General Lee was spared 
to show the world how a Christian can bear defeat 
— how, when he has done his best, and God has 
allowed the worst to come — how, when the hope- 
less struggle was over, he could, with God's help, 
gird on a new courage, not to contend, but to 
endure. There is a sad pleasure in thinking of our 
Christian heroes, both of the rank and file, who now 
sleep the sleep of death, to be aroused by no reveille, 
until the resurrection morn, when the trump of the 
archangel shall sound, and the "dead in Christ shall 
rise first." The bright and chivalrous Stuart died 
in the triumph of the faith which he had professed 
long before; amid all the sufferings of his dying 
body, he joined the man of God, who ministered 
to him and prayed for him, with his feeble voice in 
singing a favorite hymn. Soon after his wonderful 
raid around McClellan's army, a youthful soldier, 
who had been one of his guides through the entangled 



92 GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 

thickets of the Chickahominy, and who was interest- 
ing the passengers of a railroad car with an ani- 
mated account of his hair-breadth escapes by flood 
and field, concluded by saying, "In all the tight 
places that the General got into, I never heard him 
swear an oath, and I never saw him drink a drop." 
Mrs. Stuart, the General's wife, was one of the 
amused auditors of the enthusiastic narrator. As 
soon as she could do so without being observed, she 
leaned forward, introduced herself to the youth, and 
asked him if he knew why General Stuart never 
swears nor drinks ? The youth answered in the 
negative. She replied, " It is because he is a Chris- 
tian, and loves God; and nothing would induce him 
to do what he thinks wrong ; and I want you, and 
all of his soldiers, to follow his example." 




CHAPTER XL 

LEE CROSSES THE BORDER. 

IMMEDIATELY after the second battle of Man- 
assas, General Lee led his troops into Maryland. 
The country looked on with the perfect confidence 
which it always felt in its great leader. By the 7th 
of September, the whole army was on the Maryland 
side of the Potomac. Western Maryland was loyal 
to the Union ; hence it was necessary that the soldiers 
should be under strict orders to respect private prop- 
erty, and severe punishment was threatened to those 
who attempted to pillage or destroy. They paid 
for whatever was wanted, with Confederate money. 
They had no other, and the venders seemed willing 
to receive it. Compensation was made for the fence- 
rails which the troops were sometimes tempted to 
burn ; and they were required to treat persons of 
Union principles with consideration. The North- 
ern soldiers were amazed ; they had, true to the 

93 



94 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

maxim that "all things are fair in war," just de- 
vastated the bright fields of Virginia, burned houses 
and barns, destroyed furniture and things most pre- 
cious to the people, with impunity. Now, they saw 
soldiers obeying their General, who governed by no 
worldly law, but by the golden rule of Christians — 
" Do unto others as you would they should do unto 
you." "It must have been a proud moment for 
General Lee," says McCabe, in his " Life of General 
Lee," "when he saw this; for he must have known 
that his troops were influenced as much by their love 
for him, as by their sense of right and justice. ' ' He 
published an address to the people of Maryland, 
inviting them to join him; but few came to his 
standard. The people of Eastern and Southern 
Maryland were friendly to the South, but the Fed- 
eral army lay between them and the Confederates. 
Baltimore, too, was filled with Southern sympathiz- 
ers, but he could not get to them, nor they to him, 
so that the troops were at first bitterly disappointed. 
Then came the capture of Harper's Ferry by Gen- 
eral Jackson ; the battles of South Mountain and 
Sharpsburg, fought with such valor on both sides, 
and with such losses to both. General Lee, then 
finding that nothing more could be effected by 
remaining, withdrew across the Potomac at once. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 95 

McCabe quotes the New York Tribu?ie, to show the 
feeling of disappointment evinced by the North, 
when the masterly withdrawal of the Southern com- 
mander became known. "He leaves us," it said, 
' ' the debris of his late camps, two disabled pieces 
of cannon, a few hundred of his stragglers, perhaps 
two thousand of his wounded, and as many more 
of his unburied dead. Not a sound field-piece, 
caisson, ambulance, or wagon ; not a box of stores, 
or pound of ammunition. He takes with him the 
supplies gathered in Maryland, and the rich spoils 
of Harper's Ferry." 

The troops were withdrawn to the vicinity of 
Winchester for rest, of which they were much in 
need. There they enjoyed the bracing mountain 
air, with all the freedom, fun, and frolic incident to 
camp-life. General Lee's care now was to have 
them supplied with shoes and other quartermaster's 
stores necessary for their comfort. ' The stragglers 
came back, and in the course of two weeks the army 
was increased by the. arrival of about thirty thousand 
fresh troops. 

In October, we find General Lee moving his troops 
to prevent another "On to Richmond," and on the 
13th of December a mighty pitched battle was fought 
at Fredericksburg. The Federal force was in over- 



g6 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

whelming numbers under General Burnside, who 
superseded the brave, but unfortunate McClellan. 
This battle was a most decided Confederate success, 
and the great Federal army was kept at bay on the 
north side of the Rappahannock during the winter 
of 1862-63. 

Lee now reigned supreme in the confidence and 
hearts of both soldiers and people from the Potomac 
to the Gulf of Mexico, and yet he seemed "clothed 
with humility." How mightily did the grace of 
God reign in his heart, when, as it were, from the 
very pinnacle of fame, he bowed his head humbly 
before Him, giving Him the glory, and praising 
Him for having given victory to his country, and 
praying for His guidance that he might guide others. 
"In the hour of victory," says one of his staff 
officers, "he was grand, imposing, awe-inspiring, 
yet self- forgetful and humble." We are at a loss 
whether to admire more his humility in victory or 
his dignity in defeat. His great nature, purified by 
grace, made him the " praise of the whole earth ; " 
yet, feeling his own sinfulness, in his deep humility, 
he expressed himself, a short time before his death, 
as feeling utterly unworthy to enter into the "rest 
prepared for the people of God." 

His headquarters during this victorious winter 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 97 

differed in no particular from the quarters of the 
private soldiers. It was a tent pitched in the woods 
near Hamilton's Crossings, surrounded by the tents 
of the staff officers. There was no appearance of a 
body-guard, with the exception of an orderly who 
always waited to summon couriers to carry dis- 
patches. No one would have known that this unpre- 
tending group of tents was the army headquarters. 
His tent contained nothing but what was indispen- 
sable ; no article of luxury was there. The General 
covered himself with the ordinary army blanket ; 
and many men and officers, whose warm-hearted 
friends would supply luxuries to them, fared better 
than he. The heart of the South was open to him; 
and though its citizens were very poor, yet they 
were self-denying, and boxes filled with luxuries of 
all sorts were sent to him ; but he generally sent 
them to the hospitals around, to contribute to the 
comfort of the sick and wounded. Thus did he set 
an example to his officers, of enduring hardship for 
the sake of the cause, and of self-denial for the good 
of others ; he was too good a Christian in war as in 
peace to be self-indulgent, though he was ever cheer- 
ful and social. 

We have seen him after the war was over, at water- 
ing-places, in attendance upon his sick wife, the ob- 
9 G 



98 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

served of all observers, followed, caressed, courted; 
dressed in his plain, but neatly-fitting suit of gray- 
cloth, and spotless linen. He was perhaps the most 
quiet and unostentatious man at the place. He en- 
tered freely into society, and seemed to enjoy it, 
particularly that of the ladies ; but he never forgot 
or neglected those who came for the healing of the 
waters ; to them he was always benevolently, sooth- 
ingly attentive, having a kind word for all. From 
a religious service he was never absent, and was ever 
a most devout and zealous worshipper. 

During the war, while the army was near Rich- 
mond, where his family lived, he would frequently 
ride into the city at night; and no one would know 
that he was nearer than the camp, until sunrise 
would bring the early worshippers together, to ask 
God's blessing on their country, then would the 
stately form and venerable head (for anxiety and 
exposure had now turned his dark locks gray) of 
General Lee be invariably found among them. He 
was never missing from the morning prayer-meeting, 
if in the city ; and when his official business for 
which he came would be over, or if he had come 
to spend the Sabbath with his family and to attend 
the services of the sanctuary, and the day of rest 
had passed away, he would depart as quietly and 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 99 

unostentatiously as he came. Not unfrequently, when 
the inquiry was made, "Is General Lee still in the 
city?" the answer would be, "No; he must have 
gone, as he was not at prayer-meeting this morning." 

This reminds me of an anecdote of a lady, who, 
passing a group of rough-looking soldiers waiting 
at the Transportation Office, said to them, 

"Gentlemen, whom do you suppose I have seen 
this morning? " 

In answer to their inquiring looks, she replied, 
"General Lee." 

" General Lee ! " they exclaimed. " We did not 
know he was in town. God bless him ! " 

" Where do you suppose I saw him so early? " 

" Where, Madam, where ? " 

"At prayer-meeting; down upon his knees pray- 
ing for you and for the country." 

In an instant they seemed subdued ; tears started 
to the eyes of these hardy, sunburnt veterans. Some 
were utterly silent, while others exclaimed, "God 
bless him ! " " God bless his old soul ! " .The lady 
walked on, but was followed by several to know 
where he was to be seen. One had never seen him 
at all, and wanted to see him "monstrous bad." 
Others had seen him often, but wanted to see him 
again, "just to look at him." They were told to go 



100 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

to Franklin Street ; but they could not leave the 
Transportation Office, as they were waiting their 
"turn" for transportation tickets; and: they pro- 
bably did not get the much-desired sight of their 
venerated General. 

That General Lee was a man of much prayer and 
great faith, none could doubt who knew his exem- 
plary life ; but probably few of his most intimate 
friends fully understood the depth of his feelings on 
this subject. He was a man of great reserve, and 
only his actions, and an occasional outburst of feel- 
ing, showed the whole-souled follower of the Sav- 
iour. There can be no doubt but that faith in 
God's providence, and reliance on the Almighty 
arm, were the foundations of all his actions, and the 
secret springs of his supreme composure under all 
trials. Good men have said that when they visited 
him, and conversed with him on the subject of reli- 
gion, they would leave him with their hearts burning 
within them. 

When the Rev. J. Wm. Jones and another chap- 
lain went, in 1863, to consult him in reference to 
the better observance of the Sabbath in the army, 
he says that the " General's countenance glowed 
with pleasure, and his eye brightened ; and, as in 
his simple, feeling words he expressed his delight, 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. IOI 

we forgot the great warrior, and only remembered 
that we were communing with an humble, earnest 
Christian." 

When he was informed that the chaplains prayed 
for him, tears started to his eyes, as he replied,. " I 
sincerely thank you for that ; and can only say that 
I am a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone, and 
need all the prayers you can offer for me." 

The day after this interview, he issued an earnest 
general order, enjoining on the officers and men the 
observance of the Sabbath ; urging them to attend 
public worship in their camps, and forbidding the 
performance of official duties, unless essential to the 
subsistence or safety of the army. He always at- 
tended public worship, if it were in his power to do 
so ; and often the earnestness of the preacher would 
make his eye kindle and his face glow." He fre- 
quently attended the meetings of the chaplains, took 
a warm interest in their proceedings, and uniformly 
exhibited an ardent desire for the promotion of reli- 
gion in the army. 

When General Meade came over to Mine Run, 
and the Southern army marched out to meet him, 
Lee was riding along the line of battle in the woods, 
when he came upon a party of soldiers holding a 
prayer-meeting on the eve of battle. Such a spec- 



102 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

tacle was not unusual in the army then, and after- 
wards ; some of these rough fighters were men of 
profound piety. On this occasion, the scene before 
him seems to have excited deep emotion in General 
Lee. He stopped, dismounted ; the staff officers 
attending him did the same. He uncovered his 
head, and stood in an attitude of profound attention 
and respect, while the earnest prayer proceeded in 
the midst of the thunder of artillery and explosion 
of the enemy's shell. 

The early spring of 1863 found General Lee still 
on the south of Fredericksburg. While he watched 
the Federal army with an eagle eye, he prepared his 
own to meet it. Can we doubt that this man of God 
prayed much to the Ruler of all events to direct 
and guide his steps ? The country looked on with 
anxiety to the opening of the spring campaign. 

General Hooker, who had superseded Burnside, 
now led the Federal hosts. He had proved himself 
a most accomplished corps commander; and now 
the United States looked to him with confidence to 
overcome the comparatively small army which op- 
posed him, and to make his "On to Richmond" 
quick work. 

During the month of April he was preparing for 
the great campaign. His cavalry made many efforts 
to unmask Lee's position and learn his strength ; but 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. IO3 

Gen. Stuart was equally vigilant in guarding the fords 
of the Rappahannock, and preventing its crossing. 

On the 30th of April, however, the main force of 
the Federals, under personal command of Hooker, 
crossed the river, and now commenced concentrat- 
ing about Chancellorsville. Lee's force seemed 
scattered ; and, it is said, there was some excuse for 
Hooker's expressions of joy when he saw his own 
immense force collecting. He is said to have ex- 
claimed, " The rebel army is the legitimate p/operty 
of the Army of the Potomac. They may as well 
pack up their haversacks and make for Richmond, 
and I shall be after them." But the Southern army 
was steadily moving forward, with the hope of vic- 
tory stamped on every brow. 

Then followed the battle of Chancellorsville, 
which was fought and won by the South. But while 
the air was rent with the shouts of victory, one mes- 
sage of sorrow came over the wires which made the 
Confederacy pause in its delirium of joy — General 
Jackson was wounded ! Every countenance grew 
pale with apprehension ; yet no one believed he 
would die. The idea could not for a moment be 
borne — no one expressed it. All hearts turned to 
God for help ; prayers for his recovery were on 
every lip. The language of every heart was, "Surely 
God will not take him away from us in our great ne- 



104 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

cessity." But the fiat had gone forth ; and God re- 
moved him from the evil to come. 

The day of victory closed, and at ten o'clock at 
night he was shot in the arm by a brigade of his own 
men. He was returning to his lines with his escort, 
without giving warning, and the fatal shot was fired 
by men who had been ordered to look out for Fed- 
eral cavalry. The mistake was made in the mistiness 
of moonlight; and the whole escort, with the excep- 
tion of two men, were killed, wounded, or dis- 
mounted. When he had been carried to the rear, 
his situation was immediately communicated to Gen. 
Lee, who exclaimed, with deep feeling, "Thank 
God it is no worse ! God be praised he is still alive ! 
Any victory is a dear one, which deprives us of the 
services of General Jackson, even for a time." 

Later in the day, when he heard of the amputation 
of his left arm, he wrote to him the following note, 
full of sympathy, which proved most comforting to 
the wounded hero : 

General : — I have just received your note in- 
forming me that you were wounded. I cannot ex- 
press my regret at the occurrence. Could I have 
directed events, I should have chosen, for the good 
of the country, to have been disabled in your stead. 
I congratulate you upon the victory, which is due 
to your skill and energy. 

R. E. Lee, General. 



-^rt 




CHAPTER XII. 

CHANCELLORSVILLE, AND DEATH OF GENERAL 
JACKSON. 

THE fighting was continued for three days longer, 
and on the 5th of May General Lee reported 
to President Davis: "We have reoccnpied Fred- 
ericksburg, and no enemy remains south of the 
Rappahannock, or in its vicinity." 

The campaign was over, but the victory was too 
dearly won. General Jackson died of pneumonia, 
the result of his wounds, on Sunday, the 10th of 
May. 

On the 7th, General Lee had issued an address to 
the army, appointing Sunday, the 10th, as a day for 
the troops to unite in returning thanks to God for 
the victory. His words were, "While this glorious 
victory entitles you to the praise and gratitude of the 
nation, we are especially called upon to return our 

105 



106 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

grateful thanks to the only Giver of victory for the 
signal deliverance He has wrought. It is therefore 
earnestly recommended that the troops unite on 
Sunday next in ascribing unto the Lord of Hosts the 
glory due unto His name." Then he communicates 
to the army the following letter from President 
Davis, as an expression of his appreciation of the 
victory : 

"I have received your dispatch, and reverently 
unite with you in giving praise to God for the suc- 
cess with which He has crowned our arms. In the 
name of the people, I offer my cordial thanks to the 
troops under your command for their addition to 
the unprecedented series of great victories which 
our army has achieved. The universal rejoicing 
caused by this happy result will be mingled with 
a general regret for the good and the brave who 
are numbered among the killed and wounded." 

While the army was engaged in returning thanks 
for the victory, and doubtlessly praying, earnestly 
praying, for the restoration of "Lee's great lieuten- 
ant," of whom he was wont to speak as his " right 
arm," the redeemed spirit of General Jackson 
winged its way to the bosom of the God who gave 
it, to the Saviour who redeemed it, and to the Holy 
Spirit who sanctified it. He "walked with God, 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 107 

and was not; for God took him." The nation wept 
and mourned for him, and could not be comforted. 

The personal relations between Lee and Jackson 
had been of the most friendly character ; their ad- 
miration for each other was without the blemish of 
selfishness ; each accorded to the other the praise 
due him. The dazzling fame of Jackson did not 
disturb the great soul of Lee. He rejoiced in it as 
a blessing to his country. 

"Say to General Jackson," he said to a young 
staff officer who came with a message, "that he 
knows just as well what to do with the enemy as I 
do." 

The tone of the messages sent by him, when Jack- 
son lay wounded, were both affectionate and familiar, 
showing the feeling that existed between them. 
"Give him my affectionate regards, and tell him to 
make haste and get well, and come back to me as 
soon as he can. He has lost his left arm, but I have 
lost my right." 

When it became reported that the wound might 
prove fatal, Lee was greatly shocked, and exclaimed 
with deep feeling, "Surely General Jackson must 
recover ! God will not take him from us, now that 
we need him so much. Surely he will be spared 
to us in answer to the many prayers which are offered 
for him." 



108 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Then pausing in deep emotion, he added, after a 
silence of some moments, to the young officer who 
made the sad communication to him : 

" When you return, I trust you will find him bet- 
ter. When a suitable season offers, give him my 
love, and tell him I wrestled in prayer for him last 
night as I never prayed, I believe, for myself." 

In a day or two, it became necessary for him to 
issue a general order, which must have caused him 
one of the bitterest pangs of which his heart was 
capable. It was as follows : 

"With deep grief, the Commanding General an- 
nounces to the army the death of Lieutenant-General 
T. J. Jackson, who expired on the ioth instant, at a 
quarter past three p. m. The daring skill and en- 
ergy of this great and good soldier, by the decree of 
an all-wise Providence, are now lost to us. But 
while we mourn his death, we feel that his spirit lives, 
and will inspire the army with his indomitable cour- 
age and unshaken confidence in God as our hope and 
strength. Let his name be a watchword to his corps, 
who have followed him to victory in so many fields. 
Let his officers and soldiers emulate his invincible 
determination to do everything in defence of our be- 
loved country. 

R. E. Lee." 

That the sentiments of Lee for Jackson were fully 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. IO9 

reciprocated by Jackson, there can be no doubt. 
He regarded him not only as a great soldier, but as 
a good Christian ; and his love and admiration for 
him were known by his friends to be almost un- 
bounded. He was always the warm defender against 
those who found fault with Lee; for even he could 
not in all respects escape calumny. 

He was once spoken of, before General Jackson, 
as being "slow." In a moment he became indig- 
nant, and exclaimed, "General Lee is not 'slow.' 
No one knows the weight upon his heart — his great 
responsibilities. He is commander-in-chief; and he 
knows that if an army is lost, it cannot be replaced. 
No ! there may be some persons whose good opinion 
of me may make them attach some weight to my 
views ; and if you ever hear that said of General 
Lee, I beg you will contradict it in my name. I 
have known General Lee for five-and-twenty years. 
He is cautious. He ought to be. But he is not 
1 slow.' Lee is a phenomenon. He is the only man 
whom I would follow blindfold. ' ' 

Soon after the battle of Chancellorsville, General 
Lee determined again to cross the Potomac ; and by 
the 1 st of June he was ready for the advance. His 
masterly strategy in less than two weeks drew the 
Federal army from the Rappahannock to the upper 



110 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Potomac ; and he was now preparing to cross into 
Maryland, and thence to Pennsylvania. This move- 
ment led to the disastrous, but bravely fought battle 
of Gettysburg. The account of the battle does not 
belong to this little volume ; but we love to dwell on 
the humanity and kindness exercised by General 
Lee and his officers during the march through the 
enemy's country. Strict orders were issued to the 
men to respect private property; and the fidelity 
with which the guards discharged their duty is shown 
by a biographer of General Lee in a single instance. 
" A trooper, with a half-starved horse, keeping watch 
over a wheat-field, prevented his own horse from 
cropping the grain." 

"No burning homestead," said the Hon. Reverdy 
Johnson, "illumined his march ; no shivering and 
helpless children were turned out of their homes to 
witness their destruction by the torch. With him all 
the rules of civilized war, having the higher sanction 
of God, were strictly observed." 

A Northern correspondent of the day spoke of it in 
praise. "It must be confessed, that though there 
were over sixty acres of wheat, and eighty of oats 
and corn in the same field, it was most carefully 
protected ; and the horses were picketed so that it 
could not be injured. No fences were wantonly 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. Ill 

destroyed ; poultry was not disturbed ; nor did the 
soldiers compliment our blooded cattle so much as 
to test the quality of a steak or roast. ' ' 

Many of the troops were very restive under these 
orders. 

" My fingers itched," said a plain soldier, "just 
to burn down two houses, one to pay for my own, 
and the other for my brother's house that the Yan- 
kees burnt on Mississippi River, but Mass Bob said I 
mustn't, and so I didn't." 

A Southern newspaper at the time seemed to par- 
take of the same feeling, and remarked sarcastically, 
"General Lee becomes irate at the robbing of a 
cherry-tree, and if he sees that the top rail of a fence 
has been thrown down, he will dismount and replace 
it with his own hands." 

He issued an order while at Chambersburg, 
Pennsylvania, in which he expresses to the troops 
the "marked satisfaction with- which he has ob- 
served their conduct during their march," and 
warns them that the "duties required by civilization 
and Christianity are as obligatory in the enemy's 
country as our own." . . . "It must be remem- 
bered," he continued, "that we make war only on 
armed men, and that we cannot take vengeance for 
the wrongs our people have suffered without lower- 



112 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

ing ourselves in the eyes of all whose abhorrence 
has been excited by the atrocities of our enemy, and 
offending against Him to whom vengeance belongeth, 
without whose favor and support our efforts must all 
prove vain. The Commanding General, therefore, 
earnestly exhorts the troops to abstain, with most 
scrupulous care, from unnecessary or wanton injury 
to private property; and he enjoins upon all officers 
to arrest and bring to summary punishment all who 
shall in any way offend against the orders on the 
subject." 

None but a Christian could have issued such an 
order under such circumstances. He had been 
robbed of his property ; had seen his invalid wife 
and young daughters refugees from the beautiful 
home of their inheritance ; had seen the down-trod- 
den fields and burning dwellings of his own State ; 
had heard the wail of woe from the captive cities 
of the far South ; and while his heart burned within 
him at the wrongs of his people, by the grace of 
God, he was enabled to rise nobly above human 
nature and by his example to exalt the army above 
the feelings which would have prompted them to lay 
waste and to destroy, and to return in full measure, 
the ills which had been inflicted on them. None 
but one born of the Spirit, Heaven -taught and 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. II3 

Heaven -directed, could have exercised such Chris- 
tian forbearance. 

The old question, Is it right in the sight of God ? 
naturally arose to his mind, and decided his course 
here, as it had done through his whole life ; and he 
went on through the rich valleys of Pennsylvania, 
not to victory over the troops of the enemy, — that 
was denied him there, — but exercising that victory 
over evil, that power of ruling his own spirit and 
the spirits of other men, which proved him to be far 

" greater than he that taketh a city." 
10* H 





CHAPTER XIII. 

GENERAL LEE AFTER THE DEFEAT AT 
GETTYSBURG. 

THE advance to Gettysburg and the desperate 
fight are left to the historian. The Southern 
soldiers had fought well, and when repulsed, their 
leader mounted his war-horse Traveller and rode 
forward to meet and encourage his retreating troops. 
The air was filled with bursting shells, and the men 
were coming back without order. General Lee met 
them, and with his staff officers busied himself in 
rallying them, uttering, as he did so, words of hope 
and encouragement. 

Colonel Freemantle, — an officer of the English 
army, who was a spectator of the fight, and who 
seems to have noticed General Lee with an admiring 
eye, — describes his conduct at this moment as being 
"perfectly sublime. Lee's countenance," he adds, 

"did not give signs of the slightest disappointment, 

114 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. II5 

care, or annoyance, but preserved the utmost placidity 
and cheerfulness. He rode slowly to and fro, saying 
in his grave, kindly voice to the men, ' All this will 
come right in the end ; we '11 talk it over hereafter ; 
but in the meantime all good men must rally. We 
want all true and good men now.' They did rally, 
and even some of the wounded returned with cheers 
for their beloved commander." 

Colonel Freemantle adds in his diary, that Gen- 
eral Lee was fully alive to the extent of the disaster, 
and said to him, "This has been a sad day to us, 
Colonel; but we can't expect always to have vic- 
tory." And yet when General Wilcox came to 
report the failure, scarcely able to articulate with 
emotion, he said, cheerfully, "Never mind, Gen- 
eral; all this has been my fault. It is I that have lost 
this fight, and you must help me out of it the best 
way you can." 

The English officer spoken of above seems lost 
in admiration of the affection and confidence shown 
him by the men in their hour of defeat. He quotes 
in his diary their homely phraseology in speaking of 
him: "We've not lost confidence in the old man. 
This day's work won't do him any harm. Uncle 
Robert will get us to Washington yet ; you bet he 
will," etc. The men loved him with devotion, be- 



Il6 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

cause he loved them, sympathized in their sor- 
rows, and always spoke kindly to them. Other 
great warriors have treated their soldiers as ma- 
chines with which to execute their plans ; but Gen- 
eral Lee treated them as men and brothers. To the 
wounded he gave sympathy, to all kind words. 

Immediately after this fight he returned to Vir- 
ginia, and rested his army upon the banks of the 
Opequan. 

At this time, Colonel Freemantle describes Gen- 
eral Lee as " almost the handsomest man, of his age, 
I ever saw. He is tall, broad-shouldered, very well 
made, well set up, a thorough soldier in his appear- 
ance ; and his manners are most courteous and full 
of dignity. He is a perfect gentleman in every re- 
spect. I imagine no man has so few enemies, or is 
so universally esteemed. Throughout the South, all 
agree in pronouncing him as near perfection as a 
man can be. He has none of the small vices, such 
as smoking and chewing; and his bitterest enemy 
has never accused him of any of the greater ones. 
He generally wore a long gray jacket, a high felt 
hat, and blue trousers tucked into his Wellington 
boots. I never saw him carry arms ; and the only 
marks of his military rank are the three stars on his 
collar. He rides a handsome horse, which is ex- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. WJ 

tremely well governed. He himself is very neat in 
his dress and person ; and in the most arduous 
marches he always looks smart and clean. ... It 
is understood that General Lee is a religious man, 
though not so demonstrative in that respect as Jack- 
son ', and, unlike his brother-in-arms, he is a mem- 
ber of the Church of England. His only faults, as 
far as I can learn, arise from his excessive amiabil- 
ity." 

Such is the very correct sketch of the English of- 
ficer; but the Englishman did not realize that his 
fault of " excessive amiability," was the gift of God 
through His Spirit, engrafted on a gentle but high- 
toned nature. 

The failure at Gettysburg was a sore disappoint- 
ment to the South, but no one blamed General Lee. 
It was thought right that he should carry the war 
into the enemy's country ; and his want of success 
was mourned over, and the country sympathized 
with but never censured him. Confidence in and 
love for him increased, and the people meekly 
bowed in submission, to His will who had not seen 
fit to crown the efforts of our brave troops with 
victory. 

The 21st of August was appointed by the President 
as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. It was 
faithfully observed by the Confederacy. 



Il8 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

From his return to Virginia General Lee had most 
successfully kept the Federal army at bay, and in 
December, 1863, we find him in winter-quarters at 
Orange Court-House. 

Very pleasing accounts have been given of these 
quarters. The tent of the General in the middle, 
with those of the staff around it. The couriers 
amused themselves by cutting out and fashioning 
walks from one to the other. His staff was com- 
posed of gentlemen of fine soldierly qualities and 
courteous manners, making a most delightful society 
in the woods. They lived on most harmonious 
terms with their General. They loved and revered 
him the more for being thrown with him intimately 
and without ceremony. He was free from the little 
weaknesses which disenchant the character of great 
men as we approach and enter into the recesses of 
every-day life. 

General John B. Gordon, in his address made at 
Atlanta, Georgia, immediately after General Lee's 
death, says of him, "I declare it here to-day, that, 
of any mortal man whom it has been my privilege 
to approach, he was the greatest ; and I assert here, 
that, grand as might be your conceptions of the man 
before, he arose in incomparable majesty on more 
familiar acquaintance. This can be affirmed of 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. H9 

few men who have ever lived or died, and of no 
other man whom it has ever been my fortune to 
approach." 

During this winter a revival of religion took 
place in his army, the extent of which was almost 
unprecedented. The gray-bearded veteran and the 
boyish soldier knelt together under the roof con- 
structed by the men for houses of worship com- 
posed of evergreens. General Lee entered heartily 
into their feelings, went among them, joined them 
in prayer, conversed with and encouraged their 
chaplains, asked earnestly for their prayers, and 
in every way showed the deepest interest in their 
work. He was never demonstrative in his nature, 
and his religion was of that quiet kind, which was 
more conspicuous in action than word ; but he felt 
too deeply his dependence on God's guidance, not 
to solicit the prayers of the humblest chaplain of 
the army. 

Meat was becoming more and more scarce during 
this winter, and the soldiers' rations were greatly 
diminished. The General chose to fare no better 
than his men, and had meat on his table but twice a 
week. "His ordinary dinner," says a newspaper 
of the day, "consisted of cabbage boiled in salt and 
water, and a pone of corn bread." 



120 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

The same paper tells an anecdote of the Gen- 
eral's having invited a number of gentlemen to dine 
with him ; in a fit of extravagance he ordered a 
sumptuous repast of middling and cabbage. The 
dinner was served ; and behold, a great pile of cab- 
bage, and a bit of middling about four inches long and 
two inches wide ! The guests, with commendable 
politeness, unanimously declined middling, and it 
remained in the dish untouched. The next day, the 
General, remembering the delicate tit-bit, ordered 
his servant to bring that middling. The servant 
hesitated in some confusion, but at last owned that 
the middling was borrowed, and he had returned 
it to its owner. The exact truth of the anecdote 
cannot be positively asserted ; but that General Lee 
considered that the use of meat more than twice a 
week was wrong while the country was so impover- 
ished, cannot be doubted ; and that he followed the 
dictates of conscience, and denied himself the use 
of it except when the soldiers could have it, is 
equally certain. 



A 





CHAPTER XIV. 



GENERAL LEES DISINTERESTEDNESS AND SELF- 
DENIAL. 

IT was in November, 1863, that the City Council 
of Richmond determined to present General 
Lee with a handsome residence in that city. A 
large sum for the purpose was raised ; but, unfortu- 
nately, the plan got into the newspapers, and was 
seen by General Lee, who immediately addressed 
the following note to the 

President of the City Council, Richmond, Va. 
Sir : — My attention has been directed to a reso- 
lution reported in the newspapers as having been 
introduced into the body over which you preside, 
having for its object the purchase, by the city of 
Richmond, of a house for the use of my family. I 
assure you, sir, that no want of appreciation of the 



122 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

honor conferred upon me by this resolution, or in- 
sensibility to the kind feelings which prompted it, 
induces me to ask, as I most respectfully do, that 
no further proceedings be taken with reference to 
the subject. The house is not necessary to the use 
of my family, and my own duties will prevent my 
residence in Richmond. I should, therefore, be 
compelled to decline the generous offer, and trust 
that whatever means the City Council may have to 
spare for this purpose may be devoted to the relief 
of the families of our soldiers in the field, who are 
more in want of assistance and more deserving of it 
than myself. 

I have the honor to be, most respectfully, 
Your obedient servant, 

Robert E. Lee. 

Nothing could have been more disinterested than 
this refusal of a home for his family, who were now 
living in a rented house, dependent on his pay as 
General in the Confederate service ; but he was firm 
in his refusal, preferring that the families of the sol- 
diers should be cared for. Poor fellows ! they needed 
all the assistance that could be given them, and their 
General was more than willing to deny himself for 
their good. 

It was at this time of privation that General Lee 
issued the following order to his suffering troops : 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I23 

Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, 
January 22, 1864. 
General Order, No. 7. 

The Commanding General considers it due to the 
army to state that the temporary reduction of rations 
has been caused by circumstances beyond the con- 
trol of those charged with its support. Its welfare 
and comfort are the objects of his constant and 
earnest solicitude, and no effort has been spared to 
provide for its wants. It is hoped that the exertions 
now being made will render the necessity of short 
duration ; but the history of the army has shown that 
the country can require no sacrifice too great for its 
patriotic devotion. 

Soldiers ! You tread with no unequal steps the 
road by which your fathers marched through suffer- 
ing, privation, and blood to independence ! Con- 
tinue to emulate in the future, as you have in the 
past, their valor in arms, their patient endurance of 
hardships, their high resolve to be free, which no 
trial could shake, no bribe seduce, no danger appall ; 
and be assured that the just God who crowned their 
efforts with success, will, in His own good time, send 
down His blessings upon yours. 

R. E. Lee, General. 

It is related of him by a member of his staff, show- 
ing his habits of abstemiousness and self-denial, that 
frequently, when a particularly nice piece of beef or 
mutton, which he always enjoyed, was on the table, 



124 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

and he was asked to partake further, he would in- 
variably decline, saying, "I should really enjoy 
another piece, but I have had my allowance." His 
forge tfulness of self had always been. a conspicuous 
trait in his character, which readily accounts for 
the love borne him by all of every rank with whom 
he associated. 

From letters addressed by a lady to Mrs. Lee after 
her husband's death, we make the following extracts: 

"During the war, when General Lee's thoughtful 
consideration for the comfort of others, even at the 
cost of his own, — when his habitual self-denial was 
the theme of every tongue, — with a very natural pride, 
I often told of the first time I had ever seen your 
husband. It was shortly before the war with Mexico, 
when he was Captain Lee, and attending a meeting 

of engineers at Newport. Doctor and myself 

were spending the summer there. My husband met 
with Captain Lee at an evening party, and came 
home charmed with having made his acquaintance. 
We left Newport the day after. There had been 
a great disaster recently to one of the steamboats on 
the Sound ; besides, the navigation of it was consid- 
ered dangerous. I had heard quite enough to make 
a sick woman anxious and nervous, and when the 
boat from Boston arrived, my consternation was 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 125 

complete. Instead of one of the large steamers 
commonly used on the Sound, i-t proved to be the 
Curtis Peck, a small river-boat which I had seen in 
Virginia on the James River. To add to my dis- 
may, it was late in the evening, and a fog rapidly 
advancing, an element of danger in rounding Point 
Judith. The boat was filled to its utmost capacity. 
Besides the passengers from Boston and Newport, 
a large number of soldiers were on board, from 
Fort Adams, to be sent to some other station. The 
ladies' apartment was on deck; and as I stood at the 
door, looking at the numbers within and without, 
I felt utterly disconsolate. My husband soon ap- 
proached with Captain Lee, to whom I was intro- 
duced. Ne&d I tell you that he had then reached 
that type of manly beauty which captivated every 
eye, and that the highest charm of his splendid face 
was something superior to the mere perfection of 
his noble features ? He soon realized how intensely 
anxious I was ; indeed, the solicitude was felt by all 
on board. Never can I forget the tender way in 
which he tried to allay my fears. To divert my 
mind, he talked of many things ; and to this day I 
can recall the tones of his voice, and the tenderness 
not to be described, as he spoke of his wife and 

little children at Arlington. We were soon nearly 
11* 



126 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

out to sea ; it had been rough in the bay, and Dr. 

was suffering so much from sea-sickness that he left 
the cabin, which was literally packed with human 
beings, and came upon deck for fresh air. The sol- 
diers had procured a very comfortable sleeping- 
place on deck for their Captain. Before I had been 
introduced, he entreated my husband to take posses- 
sion of it. As he persisted most positively in refusing 
to accept the kind offer, the Captain turned to me 
and begged me to use my influence, saying every- 
thing he could to convince us that it would be no 
sacrifice to himself, and ended by declaring that, if 
no one else would occupy the place, he should 
not — a determination in which he was inflexible, 
as we found the next morning that he had induced a 
young officer, also suffering from sea-sickness, to 
accept his kindness, and he had himself walked 
the deck all night. The manner in which the offer 
was made has never been effaced from our minds ; 
and we have often rejoiced that our first insight into 
his character presented to us the germ of that un- 
selfishness which afterwards expanded into such 
noble proportions, as to constitute one of his claims 
to the admiration of mankind." 

Another letter frdm this lady speaks of him as 
she knew him a few months before his death. They 
were then both visitors at the Hot Springs. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. \2J 

"It was obvious," she writes, "that the General 
felt he had a mission to perform, which he did with 
all his might. There were many instances made 
known to my husband, in the exercise of his profes- 
sion, in which this humble Christian was plainly 
striving to lead sinners to Christ, — in a word, to do 
all the good he could to all classes. There was not 
a servant or a child at the Springs that did not 
receive some kind word or token ; and even the Irish 
laborers on the road, and in the fields around, 
looked for his daily greeting. Into every sick-room 
his influence penetrated. Among the guests was a 
wretched man, debased by intemperance, confined 
to his bed — an object of interest to no one but his 
physician. He was discovered by General Lee ; and 
the Doctor said that he never loved and revered him 
more than when he detected his earnest and persist- 
ent efforts to raise this poor creature from the depths 
of degradation into which he had sunk. It was 
evidently not mere moral elevation at which he 
aimed, for in his simple and unpretending way he 
invariably presented the claims of the blessed Re- 
deemer. 

" I shall never forget the last visit he made to our 
cottage on that memorable Sabbath evening, con- 
versing on subjects best suited to the sacred day, 
telling us, among other things, of his interest in col- 



128 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

onization, in which you so deeply sympathized. He 
spoke of your persistent efforts to teacK your slaves ; 
and added, that when any of the servants expressed 
a willingness or desire to make Liberia their home, 
he always encouraged the inclination, provided the 
individuals were suitable, subjects for emigration; 
and especially felt it his duty to prepare them for 
the contemplated change from a home where their 
wants were supplied by others, to one where they 
would be compelled to provide for themselves ; and 
before they were allowed to go he had them in- 
structed in some trade suitable to their capacity. 
He then gave us an example of a young man who 
wished to go who had a talent for shoemaking, 
which had been encouraged by your giving him the 
children's shoes to mend. He first sent him to Bal- 
timore, to be apprenticed to one of the best shoe- 
makers in the city, to perfect him in his trade, and 
then to Liberia, with his wife and children, provided 
with all that was necessary to make him comfortable 
in their new home. He added that the man had 
prospered from the first, constantly wrote of his 
well-being and happiness, of the children born 
there, all named after members of the family ; and 
that during the war he had manifested the deepest 
interest and concern in all that related personally 
to his former master and family." 




CHAPTER XV. 

DAHLGREN RAID — DEATH OF GENERAL STUART. 

IT was about this time (January, 1864,) that Gen- 
eral Lee issued an order, offering a furlough to 
every soldier who would procure an able-bodied 
recruit; and several additional cavalry brigades 
were organized. 

In the latter part of January, Richmond was en- 
dangered by a raiding party sent out by General B. 
F. Butler from the Peninsula. This failed in con- 
sequence of the party finding the fortification more 
secure than had been anticipated. It soon retreated, 
having lost a good many men, without the smallest 
compensation. 

Then followed the still more threatening " Dahl- 
gren raid." The plans for destroying the city by 
fire, seizing the President and Cabinet, and liberat- 
ing the prisoners, were said to have been well ar- 
ranged, but by the blessing of God, and the valor 
I 129 



130 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

and arrangement of parties of our troops, they were 
all frustrated. Colonel Dahlgren, the leader of one 
of the detachments, was killed, and about eighty of 
his party surrendered. He was a young man of high 
social position, and is described as peculiarly gentle 
in manner and refined in sentiment and education, 
and scarcely over twenty years of age. It seems 
very sad, that so cruel a purpose should have been 
entrusted to one so young and highly gifted, and 
that he should have been the instrument to execute 
the evil designs of older and more violent men. 
Had he succeeded, the first of March would have 
witnessed the doom of our devoted city; but its 
time was not yet ; its inhabitants had much to do 
and to suffer before the final blow. 

The night when this raiding party was so near 
us can never be forgotten by those persons who 
were in the city. It was known that the attaches 
of the* War Department were detained there during 
the night ; why, we knew not. About midnight 
brigades were seen marching up the streets ; the 
moon shone brightly, and everybody seemed to be 
on the watch. The porticos and pavements were 
filled with ladies, as if it were in the day. Each 
inquired, "What is the matter?" a question which 
none could answer; yet every one seemed calm, 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 131 

quiet, and prayerful. There was no panic. Our city 
had often been saved as if by a miracle, and all felt 
that we were in God's hands. 

About two o'clock, a telegram came from General 
J. E. B. Stuart that he was in pursuit of the enemy. 
It was soon spread abroad from the War Depart- 
ment, and we felt safe and thankful. In a few mo- 
ments the streets were deserted except by soldiers 
passing out, and the sentinels. Families had retired 
into their homes with a feeling of perfect security. 

Next day General Stuart telegraphed that the 
enemy had been overtaken at Ashland, by Lomax's 
brigade, and handsomely repulsed. But on that 
very day, May nth, just one year and one day 
after the death of General Jackson, the telegraphic 
wires brought the overwhelming news that our great 
cavalry leader, General Stuart, the Prince Rupert of 
the South as he has been called, had received the 
wound which proved to be mortal. 

He was borne from the field by his staff, placed 
in an ambulance, and brought to Richmond with 
great difficulty, turning from the road and going 
hither and thither to avoid the enemy, every jolt 
inflicting the intensest agony. They at last reached 
the house of his brother-in-law, Doctor Brewer, in 
safety. But this brave young officer, the very head 
and front of our cavaliers, died the next day. 



132 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

He had the unspeakable comfort, so often denied 
to the soldier, of dying among friends, with a de- 
voted servant of God by his side, who came to 
administer to him the consolation of religion accord- 
ing to the rites of the Episcopal Church, of which 
he was a member, and to whom he expressed his 
resignation to the will of God ; and soon after, hav- 
ing united with his feeble voice in singing " Rock 
of Ages, cleft for me," he quietly breathed his last. 

There was one dear solace which his dying hour 
did not experience. His beloved wife was but fif- 
teen miles off, but the city was so hemmed in by the 
enemy that she could not reach him. From time to 
time he turned his head to ask, "Is she come?" 
But she for whom his loving heart so yearned came 
not until that heart was stilled in death. 

The President stood by him, and thanked him, in 
the name of the country, for his services. " I have 
but done my duty," was the soldier's reply. 

The next evening his funeral services were per- 
formed in St. James's Church, by the Rev. Dr. 
Peterkin, and then his body was borne to that city 
of the brave and martyred dead, Hollywood Cem- 
etery ; and as the procession slowly and sorrowfully 
moved on, — 

" — the distant and random gun 
That the foe was sullenly firing," 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I33 

says a letter written at the time, "was his funeral 
knell, sounding at intervals the solemn peal, with 
which, in the haste and uncertainty of the time, it 
was impossible for us to honor him." 

His death was a grievous blow to the South, 
and particularly to General Lee. It is said by his 
officers that he was plunged into the deepest grief. 
When the intelligence reached him, he retired from 
those around him, and seemed engaged in earnest 
prayer. He afterwards spoke of him with great feel- 
ing, saying, "I can scarcely think of him without 
weeping." This was a most critical time for the 
country, and his loss was peculiarly severe. 

General Lee had from the beginning of spring fully 
realized the odds that were against him. The Fed- 
eral Government had made immense efforts for the 
campaign." General Grant had become commander 
of the Northern myriads. The whole "Army of 
Northern Virginia" did not exceed fifty thousand 
men, and there was no immediate hope of reinforce- 
ments. Then our Christian warrior turned to the 
Lord of Hosts for help in his weakness, and issued 
a General Order, recommending Friday, the 8th of 
April, as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. 
He invited the army to join in the observance of the 

day. Chaplains were ordered to hold services in 
12 



134 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

their regiments and brigades, and the officers and 
men were requested to attend. He concluded the 
order with these words : 

"Soldiers! let us humble ourselves before Al- 
mighty God, asking, through Christ, the forgiveness 
of our sins, beseeching the aid of the God of our 
forefathers in the defence of our homes and our 
liberties, thanking Him for His past blessings, and 
imploring their continuance upon our cause and 
people." 

In the beginning of this campaign of 1864, the great 
importance of it was deeply impressed on the minds of 
the people. Wives, mothers, and sisters worked and 
prayed for their stricken country ; earnest were their 
exhortations to their loved ones to be true to their 
country and the glorious cause. The veterans of 
Lee were inspired by patriotism, and buckled on 
their armor with determined hands for the coming 
conflict. The battle was not yet to the strong. 

On the 5 th and 6th of May was fought and won 
the desperate battle of "The Wilderness." The 
same entangled wilderness which had been the field 
of victory the year before, where the forests were so 
thick that it was impossible for a regimental com- 
mander to see the whole of his line at once. Gen- 
eral Lee had chosen his own ground, and his troops 
had the advantage of a thorough acquaintance with 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I35 

the country. Generals A. P. Hill, Longstreet, Ewell, 
Gordon, Kershaw, and other general officers, took 
part in this glorious victory. Here the gallant Gen. 
Jenkins, of South Carolina, was mortally wounded by 
a party of our own men, and Gen. Longstreet received 
a severe wound in his throat from the same party. 

The next day Gen. Grant took up the line of march 
for Spottsylvania Court-House, hoping to place him- 
self between Lee and Richmond. In this attempt 
he was foiled by General Lee's having seen through 
the plan, and having ordered Longstreet's corps, now 
commanded by General Anderson, to march to that 
place, where he was soon followed by the whole army. 

On the morning of the 9th both armies were con- 
centrated — the Confederates on the southern bank 
of the river Po, the Federals on the northern. The 
fighting was desperate on both sides for three days, 
without great advantages to either. It was during 
this time, and in connection with the movement on 
Spottsylvania Court-House, that Sheridan sent out 
raiding parties towards Richmond, which parties 
acted in concert with those already mentioned. 

Now General Lee began that wonderful retreat, 
said to be the most masterly on record, from the 
Rappahannock to the James, fighting as occasion 
required, with more or less success, but keeping 
General Grant at bay. 



I36 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

On the 5th of June occurred the decisive battle of 
Cold Harbor, in Hanover County, which closed the 
campaign, leaving General Grant again foiled. 

" During these critical days," says John E. Cooke, 
in his excellent biography of General Lee, himself 
an eye-witness, "General Lee acted with the nerve 
and coolness of a soldier, whom no adverse event 
can shake. Those who saw him will testify to the 
stern courage of his expression ; the glance of the 
eye, which indicated a great nature aroused to the 
depth of its powerful organization." 

On one occasion, at the battle of Spottsylvania 
Court-House, he witnessed a scene too characteristic 
of the devotion of men and officers to their leader 
to be omitted. 

"Lee was on fire with the ardor of battle, which 
so seldom mastered him. He went forward in front 
of his line, and taking his station beside the colors 
of one of his Virginia regiments, took off his hat, 
and, turning to the men, pointed towards the enemy. 
A storm of cheers greeted the General as he sat on 
his gray war-horse in front of the men, his head 
bare, his eye flashing, and his cheek flushed with the. 
fighting - blood of the soldier. General Gordon 
spurred to his side, and seized his rein. l General 
Lee ! ' he exclaimed, ' this is no place for you. 
Go to the rear. These are Virginians and Geor- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 137 

gians, sir, — men who have never failed ! Men, 
you will not fail now ! ' he cried, rising in his stir- 
rups and addressing the troops. 

" ' No, no ! ' was the reply of the men ; and from 
the whole line burst the shout, ' Lee to the rear ! 
Lee to the rear ! ' Instead of being needed, it was ob- 
vious that his presence was an embarrassment, as the 
men seemed determined not to charge unless he re- 
tired. He accordingly did so ; and the line advanced, 
led by General Gordon, who was never so happy as 
when the air around him was filled with bullets." 

Three days after the battle of Cold Harbor, Gen- 
eral Grant determined to retire south of the James 
and besiege Richmond from that direction. In the 
retreat from the Rappahannock, he had lost twenty 
men to Lee's one; but the depletion in the Southern 
army, though comparatively small, could not be re- 
paired. The South had done her best — men and 
means were exhausted. The soldiers in the field 
were veterans. The courage of rank and file was 
wonderful ; hope still filled the soldiers' breasts. 
The people, too, never yielded to despair. Sheridan 
and Hunter had spread ruin through the beautiful 
valley of Virginia. " Over two thousand barns filled 
with wheat, hay, and farming utensils had been de- 
stroyed ; seventy mills with grain burned." This 



I38 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

quotation is from Sheridan's dispatch, of which 
one of their own historians says, "This dread bul- 
letin recites acts some of which are indefensible." 

From this time, during the summer and autumn of 
1864, hostilities continued with varied success. The 
soldiers looked to General Lee as to one inspired ; 
he was the hope of the country, and all prayed for 
his safety, feeling that the weapon that should end 
his life would also end the life of the beloved Con- 
federacy. He must have known that the cause was 
almost hopeless ; and yet, with a firm and calm re- 
liance upon Providence, he never for a moment 
wavered in his duty to his country. Remembering 
his great maxim, that "Human virtue should be 
equal to human calamity," he seemed never to 
lose his "heart of hope." "For myself," said he 
to one of the Senators, "I intend to die sword in 
hand; " but God had willed it otherwise, and re- 
served His great Christian soldier to set an example 
of pure and undefiled religion amid the peaceful 
shades of civil life. ^fc 

During this winter the Confederate Congress ap- 
pointed him Commander-in-chief of the armies of 
the Confederacy, which was confirmed by the Ex- 
ecutive on the same day. He accepted the appoint- 
ment with his usual modesty, and then issued a char- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I39 

acteristic General Order, invoking the guidance of 
Almighty God, and expressing his reliance upon 
the courage and fortitude of the troops, sustained 
by the patriotism and firmness of the people, feeling 
confidence that their united efforts, under the bless- 
ing of Heaven, would secure peace and independence. 
A Northern editor at that time, commenting on his 
appointment and the evacuation of Charleston, says, 
" It has been said that the rebellion was a shell. The 
shell is ours ; and while we hold the worthless frag- 
ments, its invulnerable core — the great strong heart 
— -defies and baffles us. To one who truly conceives 
the meaning of the change of policy that has been 
inaugurated by the abandonment of Charleston, the 
shadow of coming battles looks darker and more 
vast than ever before. To one brain, we know how 
fertile the resources ; to one heart, we know how 
firm and true ; to one intellect, we know how gifted 
with martial attributes ; to one man, we know how 
capable to plan, to strike, to retrieve error, or to 
take advantage of it, the military fortunes of the 
South have been confided." Such was the opinion 
of the Northern press of our great commander. 
The North evidently feared a plan, which General 
Lee had hoped to carry out, of uniting the armies, 
and carrying the war farther South ; but it little 
knew how entirely gone were our resources. 




CHAPTER XVI. 

LEE APPOINTED COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF SUFFER- 
INGS OF THE TROOPS. 

THE appointment of General Lee renewed the 
hope of the people and the army, and, not- 
withstanding the sufferings of the soldiers, they 
were bright and cheerful ; and it is difficult to 
conceive how they maintained their lightness of 
spirits. Our forefathers in the old Revolution had 
their hardships. The winter at Valley Forge could 
hardly be surpassed ; but their sorrows were per- 
sonal. There was no poignant anxiety for the loved 
ones at home, many of them surrounded by the 
enemy. They knew that, and knew nothing more, 
for there could be no communication ; others knew 
that their families were subjected to the most galling 
poverty, in a devastated country ; still these ragged, 
half-starved patriots suffered, and did what they 

could for their country. 

140 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I4I 

John E. Cooke gives a graphic account of the 
army to which he belonged, and, as an eye-witness, 
he could not be mistaken, nor is the picture over- 
drawn. 

"The condition of the army," he says, "in 
which 'companies' scarce existed, ' regiments' were 
counted by tens, and ' divisions ' by hundreds only, 
need not here be elaborately dwelt upon. It was 
indeed the phantom of an army, and the gaunt faces 
were almost ghostly. Shoeless, in rags, with just 
sufficient coarse food to sustain life, but never enough 
to keep at arm's length the gnawing fiend Hunger, 
Lee's old veterans remained firm, scattered like a 
thin skirmish-line along forty miles of works; while 
opposite to them lay an enemy in the highest state 
of efficiency, and numbering nearly five men to their 
one. That the soldiers of the army retained their 
nerve under circumstances so discouraging is surely 
an honorable fact, and will make their names glorious 
in history. They remained unshaken and fought un- 
dismayed to the last, although their courage was sub- 
jected to trials of the most exhausting character. 
Day and night, from month to month, the incessant 
fire of the Federal forces had continued, and every 
engine of human destruction had been put in play 
to wear away their strength. They fought all through 



142 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

the cheerless days of winter, and when they lay 
down in the cold trenches at night, the shell of the 
Federal mortars rained down upon them, bursting 
and mortally wounding them. All day long the fire 
of muskets and cannon, and then from sunset to 
dawn the curving fire of the roaring mortars, and 
the steady, never-ceasing crack of the sharp-shoot- 
ers along the front. Snow, or blinding sleet, or 
freezing rains might be falling, but the fire went 
on, — it seemed destined to go on to all eternity." * 

Still they kept up their spirits, and the younger 
portion of them amused themselves at their own 
sufferings, and with the proverbial recklessness of the 
camp seemed joyous amid starvation. They called 
themselves "Lee's Miserables." 

The sprightly authoress of the "Popular Life of 
Lee" gives the following account of the origin 
of the name. "Victor Hugo's work, Les Miser- 
ables, had been translated and published by a 
house in Richmond ; the soldiers, in the great dearth 
of reading-matter, had seized upon it ; and thus, by 
a strange chance, the tragic story of the great French 
writer had become known to the soldiers in the 
trenches. Everywhere you might see the gaunt fig- 
ures in their tattered jackets, bending over the dingy 
* Cooke's Life of General Lee. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I43 

pamphlets — 'Fantine,' 'Cosette/ 'Manus,' or 'St. 
Denis/ and the woes of 'Jean Valjean,' the old 
galley-slave, found an echo in the hearts of these 
brave soldiers, immured in the trenches and fettered 
by duty to their muskets or their cannon." 

A story went the rounds of the newspapers at this 
time, of an old woman, who, seeing the notice of 
one of this series in a bookseller's shop, " Les 
Miserables," "Fantine," mistook it for a bulletin 
from the seat of war. " Lee's Miserables, fainting ! " 
exclaimed the excited old lady, and she went in to 
ask for further details, as her son was one of them. 

There was no bound to the love of the soldiers 
for their commander. They knew that he did all 
he could to ameliorate their condition ; that he suf- 
fered with them, and enjoyed no luxuries. Richmond 
continued to send out her supplies, and the surround- 
ing country — depleted, overrun, and hemmed in as it 
was — did its best for them. But little could be drawn 
from the lands. The flourishing wheat-field of to- 
day would probably be grazed by the cavalry of the 
enemy to-morrow, and the laden wagon for the com- 
missariat might be, nay, probably would be, the prey 
of the raiding party. 

The scarcity of provisions in Richmond during 
this winter may be better understood by a little 



144 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

circumstance which came under the writer's eye, 
and which formed a striking exemplification of 
the efficacy of prayer offered in faith, nothing 
doubting. 

A chaplain in the Confederate service — a refugee 
from his home — received a letter from the noble- 
hearted Mr. J. R. Bryan, of Fluvanna County, telling 
him that he had deposited with a commission mer- 
chant nineteen hams of bacon, subject to his order, 
to be given to the same number of refugees to whom 
he thought a ham would be acceptable. 

The chaplain's wife had that evening called to see 
a lady belonging to one of the most influential fami- 
lies in Virginia. She had not lived in her native State 
for many years before the war ; and her five sons 
were engaged in their several avocations, north of her 
borders : but, when they knew that their beloved 
South was in danger, they, with one accord, fol- 
lowed the example of their great chief, left all and 
came to her assistance. The widowed mother gave 
up her comfortable home, followed her sons, and 
sought a support by writing in one of the Govern- 
ment offices. She was now suffering from the ab- 
sence of those sons, exposed to danger and death, 
as they were in the several branches of the army. 
One only was not. now fighting for his country, and 
he had been for many months a prisoner at Fort Del- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I45 

aware. She poured into her friend's sympathetic 
ear the causes of her anxiety, but not a complaint 
escaped her; though it was evident that her share 
of the depreciated currency paid for her services 
was scarcely adequate to her support. 

The lady returned to her lodgings, and her hus- 
band immediately handed her Mr. B.'s letter, with 
the request that she would assist him in finding out 
the most needy among their refugee acquaintances. 
Their name was legion ; and the list was easily and 
joyfully made out, at the head of it was the friend 
of the evening. The necessary order for the ham 
was written and carefully laid aside, to be taken to 
her early in the morning. 

On kindly thoughts intent, the lady arose with the 
early dawn to take the order to her friend, and was 
shocked to find that the streets were covered with 
sleet, and the snow was falling rapidly. After the 
first feeling of disappointment, she determined, re- 
luctantly, to wait until the weather was more propi- 
tious. The doubt then arose in her mind about the 
propriety of doing so. The inclement day might 
have found her friend totally unprepared for it, and 
alone. Was it right to prevent her having meat 
to-day — to withhold from her any comfort which 
it was in her power to bestow ? The argument went 
13 K 



I46 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

on in her own mind, and after an animated discus- 
sion between sympathy and prudence, her husband, 
who was too sick to take her place, was called into 
the council. He agreed with sympathy, that the 
friend should have the ham at once, but with pru- 
dence, that his wife should not expose herself to such 
weather. Finally sympathy triumphed, and the lady, 
with overshoes, cloak, and umbrella, set off on her 
slippery and somewhat dangerous walk of love. The 
middle of the street, where the way was rough, 
could only be trodden with safety. The house was 
reached, the icy door-steps were passed in safety; 
then up two flights of stairs, and the tap at the door 
was answered by a fine-looking young officer in 
colonel's uniform. He was at once recognized as 
the son, from his long incarceration at Fort Dela- 
ware. The breakfast-table was arranged for two — 
with snowy napkins, bright silver, and pretty china, 
the remnants of former days. 

The recognition and congratulations being over, 
the mother was summoned to the passage, and the 
" order " given to her. For a moment she uttered 
not a word ; tears streamed, and her eyes were lifted 
to heaven. "The gift of God," she at last ex- 
exclaimed. 

" Mr. Bryan is good ; your husband is good ; you 
are good to come out in such weather; but you 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 147 

are all sent by God. My son came unexpectedly 
last night, at a late hour, worn and weary. My 
heart overflowed with gratitude and joy. I had tea, 
bread and butter for him ; nothing more. After his 
long imprisonment and hardship, I had no meat for 
him, and no hope of getting it. I did not tell him 
so, but I told God, and asked him to help me. After 
my fervent prayer I went to sleep peacefully, thank- 
ful that my child was with me again safe and well ; 
but in the dark hours of the night I awoke, and the 
troubled thought came over me, ' How can I make 
him comfortable for the few days he will be with 
me, before he returns to the army.' I arose and 
knelt at my bedside, and besought God to give me 
food for my son. I saw no probability of it, and 
yet I hoped that He would see fit to grant my prayer ; 
and He has done it, blessed be His name." 

At this time, it must be remembered, many of the 
inhabitants of Richmond, even those who had been 
most accustomed to lives of ease and elegance, had 
no luxuries ; then how much more was it the case 
with those persons, particularly ladies, who had ne- 
cessarily left their homes and sought the Capital as 
the place where they might gain the means of liv- 
ing by working for the Government. They worked 
cheerfully and hopefully, and privations were not 
regarded as such. 




CHAPTER XVII. 

THE FALL OF RICHMOND, AND THE SURRENDER. 

THE early spring of 1865 dawned on a declin- 
ing cause, but still hopeful people; but the 
Confederacy was doomed. The greatest military 
genius in America, as General Scott most justly 
called General Lee, had led brave men who' fought 
for home and country against overpowering num- 
bers of veteran troops, and had led them to victory ; 
but no human power could avert the calamities 
which now overshadowed the devoted South. Men 
who would never succumb to the missiles of war 
must now yield to grim want. Time wore on, and 
too soon came the end. The heart-rending surren- 
der of Richmond on the 3d of April, and the final 
surrender on the 9th, are events too sad to dwell 
upon, but for the picture they present of a great 
Christian warrior mighty in defeat. Richmond had 

for months known herself to be in a state of siege. 

148 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I49 

She knew that the serpent, wonderful for size and 
wiliness, was wrapping her in its coils, only waiting 
for the moment when he might strike his fangs into 
her heart, or crush her in its embrace. Yet was she 
calm, busily engaged as her men and women were 
in doing their duty to their country. They never for 
a moment allowed themselves to despair; they knew 
that they were in God's hand, and that He was 
working by instruments, to which they were willing 
to trust themselves. They did not dream of failure. 

The morning sun of the 2d of April arose brightly 
on a peaceful city; the church-bells which had 
not been cast into cannon, at eleven o'clock 
summoned the multitudes to their various places 
of worship. Friend passed friend on the street 
with the usual salutation of kindness, until the 
churches were filled with their congregations. 

In the Episcopal churches, as usual on the first 
Sunday of the month, the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper was administered. The President was at 
St. Paul's. . The services were nearly over, when a 
messenger entered, and handed him a paper. It 
was General Lee's dispatch announcing his deter- 
mination to evacuate the city. The President's 
agitation alarmed a portion of the congregation; 
in a few moments the blessing was pronounced, and 
13* 



I50 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

all left the church, — many in alarm, all agitated by 
uncertainty. At St. James's Church, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral Cooper occupied his usual seat. As he was 
about to leave it to approach the Lord's Table, a 
messenger walked quickly down the aisle, and ex- 
tended his hand to give him a paper ; but he was 
too much absorbed by the sacred rite to observe it. 
A gentleman sitting by received the dispatch, and 
held it until the venerable Christian returned to his 
seat, and then placed it in his hand. His cheek 
blanched as he read it, and he quietly left the 
church. All this passed as the communicants were 
passing to and fro in the aisles, and therefore it was 
observed but by a few persons, and they were too 
deeply anxious to communicate their feelings to 
others ; but the moment soon came, when the con- 
gregation left the church and mingled with the 
thousands of anxious citizens who were moving in 
the streets. Horror and despair marked every 
countenance — some, agitated and excited, ex- 
pressed their feelings of woe, others went on in pallid 
silence. Some were rushing in pursuit of vehicles 
to carry them out of the city, they knew not 
whither ; others, who were obliged to remain in 
the city, seemed to be calmly resigning themselves 
to the hands of God ; the more sanguine men, still 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 151 

sending forth rays of hope, saying decidedly and 
confidently, " General Lee knows what he is about; 
he will remove the army farther south, where provi- 
sions are more abundant. The President will take the 
Government off, and re-establish it in some Southern 
town, and it will not be long before we are disen- 
thralled. Nothing better could happen for the 
Confederacy, &c." These were pleasant words, 
and we loved to hear them ; but we listened to 
them with a strange, unrealizing feeling. 

That night was passed, we scarcely know how; 
no one slept : the explosion of magazines, again and 
again, shook the houses and shivered the windows 
with a crashing sound. All was wild confusion. By 
daybreak it was discovered that the lower parts of 
the city were in flames ; large commissary and quar- 
termaster buildings were most unwisely fired, as well 
as some of the tobacco factories ; and the flames 
spread from street to street, — in a few hours the 
principal business streets, the War Department, and 
other fine buildings presented a mass of blackened 
ruins. The armory was filled with bomb-shells, 
which exploded from time to time as the fire 
reached them, resembling heavy cannonading. 

The Federal troops entered the city at an early 
hour. They treated the citizens with great courtesy, 



152 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

but the situation was humiliating in the extreme. 
But where was our great Chief from whom we still 
expected so much ? His family remained in Rich- 
mond, but he was drawing off his army from Rich- 
mond and Petersburg under cover of darkness. A 
brave member of his staff dashed into the city at 
midnight, went to the house of a friend with whom 
his lady-love was refugeeing, claimed her promise to 
marry him if the city was evacuated \ summoned a 
clergyman and a few friends, was married, placed 
his bride under his mother's care, and was again 
with the army by break of day. 

It is said that the soldiers were in fine spirits, 
hoping to go South and fight on. General Lee ; too, 
was hopeful. "I have gotten my army safe out of 
the breastworks," he was heard to say; "and in 
order to follow me, the enemy must abandon his 
lines, and can derive no farther benefit from the 
railroads and James River." 

General Lee designed taking his army into North 
Carolina, but the question of food, the very means 
of subsistence, was now the important one. The army 
had carried but one ration. Orders had been given 
for a supply to meet him at Amelia Court-House. 
By some fatal mistake, the cars laden with food from 
the South were sent on to Richmond without un- 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 153 

loading at that point, and the provisions were lost in 
the general conflagration. The army had marched 
through mud and water, delayed by the risen streams 
which they must cross, buoyed by the hope that relief 
was near. What, then, must have been their bitter 
disappointment, when they reached the desired haven, 
to find that all hope was fallacious ! How must the 
great heart of General Lee have quailed at the un- 
looked-for calamity ! Starving men could neither 
march nor fight. It became necessary to send out 
foraging parties to gain a scanty subsistence from the 
impoverished country through which they passed. 
Next day his retreat was cut off while the troops were 
out hunting for bread. General Lee was then obliged 
to turn to the westward and retreat towards Lynch- 
burg. The army of Northern Virginia marched on 
unmurmuringly, confident of the ability of their leader 
in any extremity. 

The Federals under General Sheridan hung on 
the flank of the army. On the 6th a sharp fight en- 
sued, in which the Confederates under General 
Ewell, though so overcome with fatigue as in many 
instances to fall asleep at their guns, held their 
ground for some time, keeping the enemy at bay by 
an overwhelming fire ; but the enemy being largely 
reinforced, General Ewell found himself obliged to 



154 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

surrender. This blow was irreparable. General 
Ewell and nearly his whole corps, with several gen- 
eral officers, were now in the hands of the enemy. 
This occurrence took place while General Lee was 
confronting a body of Federals near Sailor's Creek. 
"The scene," says one who witnessed it, "was 
one of gloomy picturesqueness and tragic interest. 
On a plateau raised above the forest from which 
they had emerged were the disorganized troops of 
Ewell and Anderson, unofficered, and uttering ex- 
clamations of rage and defiance. Rising above the 
weary groups which had thrown themselves upon 
the ground were the grim barrels of cannon in bat- 
tery, ready to fire as soon as the enemy appeared. 
In front of all was placed the still line of battle, 
placed by General Lee, and waiting calmly. Lee 
had rushed his infantry over just at sunset, leading 
it in person, his face animated and his eye brilliant 
with the soldier's spirit of fight, but his bearing un- 
flurried as before. An artist desiring his picture 
ought to have seen the old cavalier at this moment, 
sweeping on Upon his large iron-gray, whose mane 
and tail floated in the wind ; carrying his field-glass 
half raised in his right hand, with head erect, ges- 
tures animated, and in the whole face and form the 
expression of the hunter close upon his game. The 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I 55 

line once interposed, he rode in the twilight among 
the disordered groups above mentioned, and the 
sight of him aroused a tumult. Fierce cries re- 
sounded on all sides, and, with hands clinched vio- 
lently and raised aloft, the men called on him to 
lead them against the enemy. ' It's General Lee ! 
Uncle Robert! Where's the man who won't fol- 
low Uncle Robert ? ' I heard on all sides ; the swar- 
thy faces, full of dirt and courage, lit up every instant 
by the glare of the burning wagons. Altogether, the 
scene was indescribable."* 

On the 7th, General Fitz-Lee gave an unexpected 
repulse to a cavalry force under General Sheridan. 
Again General Fitz-Lee met and captured a force of 
about six thousand. General Lee was very much 
gratified, and said to his son, General Wm. H. F. Lee : 

"Keep your command together, and in good 
spirits, General. Don't let them think of surrender. 
I will get you out of this." 

On the 8th and 9th hope seemed to die in the 
breast of every human being except the Command- 
ing General. The resolution of the troops, in con- 
sequence of hunger and other hardships incident to 
retreat, seemed to waver. The men were almost 
without food, except a little corn ; but those who 
* Cooke's Life of General Lee. 



I56 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

were still able to carry their muskets, marched and 
fought with wonderful cheerfulness. 

General Lee's spirits did not flag, and up to the 
last day he did not seriously contemplate surrender. 
The corps commanders first saw the necessity, and 
requested General Pendleton, his chief of artillery, 
to suggest to General Lee the hopelessness of a longer 
struggle. The communication came like a shock. 

"Surrender!" he exclaimed, his eyes flashing. "I 
have too many good fighting-men for that." * 

On the night of the 8th, the last council of war' 
of the army of Northern Virginia was held. It met 
around a bivouac-fire in the woods. General Lee, 
Generals Gordon, Longstreet, and Fitz-Lee were 
present. Generals Gordon and Fitz-Lee half re- 
clined upon an army blanket near the fire. Long- 
street sat upon a log smoking, and General Lee stood 
by the fire, holding in his hand the correspondence 
which had just passed between Grant and himself. 
The question what course it was advisable to pursue, 
was put by General Lee in a calm voice. It was 
agreed that the army should advance on the next 
morning beyond Appomattox Court-House, and if 
only General Sheridan's cavalry was in front to brush 
it from the path and proceed to Lynchburg. If, 
* J. E. Cooke. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I57 

however, the Federal cavalry was discovered in large 
force, then to dispatch a flag to General Grant, re- 
questing an interview to arrange terms of capitu- 
lation. General Lee acquiesced in the plan with 
such deep heart-burning as none will ever know. 

At three o'clock in the morning he awoke from 
his troubled sleep by the bivouac-fire, and sent Col- 
onel Venable to know General Gordon's opinion as 
to the probable result of another attack upon the 
army. The answer was most discouraging. He re- 
ceived it with great feeling, and said : 

" There is nothing left but to go to General Grant; 
and I had rather die a thousand deaths." 

One of his staff officers said to him, "What will 
history say of our surrendering, if there is any chance 
of escape ? Posterity will not understand it ! " 

General Lee immediately replied, "Yes, yes, 
they will understand our situation ; but that is not 
the question. The question is, ' What is right?' 
If it is right, I take the responsibility / ' ' 

His expression now changed from hopefulness to 
deep melancholy, and turning to an officer near, he 
said, " How easily I could get rid of all this and be 
at rest ! 1 have only to ride along the line and all 
would be over." He was silent for a short time, 
and then added, with a deep sigh, "But it is our 



I58 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

duty to live. What will become of the women and 
children of the South, if we are not here to protect 
them?" 

Further resistance seeming impossible, General 
Lee sent a flag to General Grant, requesting an inter- 
view, that the terms of surrender might, if possible, 
be arranged. This meeting took place at the house 
of Mr. Wilmer McLean, at Appomattox Court-House. 
General Lee was accompanied by his aid, Colonel 
Marshall ; General Grant by a few of his officers. 
He (General Grant) behaved with great courtesy and 
delicacy. The demeanor of General Lee was as 
usual, that which marked the Christian gentleman, 
calm and courteous, and he confined his remarks 
strictly to the bitter business before him. 

The interview was brief. Seated at a plain deal 
table, the two commanders wrote and exchanged 
the necessary papers. They then bowed to each 
other, and leaving the house, General Lee mounted 
his gray war-horse and returned to his headquarters. 
As he passed through the army the men gathered 
around him, and with love and sorrow called upon 
God to help him. He was deeply affected ; tears 
came to his eyes as he said in tremulous tones, " We 
have fought through the war together. I have done 
the best I could for you. My heart is too full to say 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 159 

more." He then passed into his tent, where he was 
left by his considerate officers to commune with his 
own heart and with his God. His appearance on 
that day is thus described by a Federal officer : 

" General Lee looked very much jaded and worn, 
but nevertheless presented the same magnificent 
physique for which he has always been noted. He 
was neatly dressed in gray cloth, without embroidery 
or any insignia of rank, except three stars worn on the 
turned portion of his collar. His cheeks were very 
much bronzed by exposure, but still shone ruddy 
beneath it all. He is growing quite bald, and wears 
one of the side-locks of his hair thrown across the 
upper portion of his forehead, which is as white and 
fair as a woman's. He stands fully six feet in height, 
and weighs something over two hundred pounds, 
without being burdened with a pound of superfluous 
flesh. During the interview he was retired and dig- 
nified to a degree bordering on taciturnity, but was 
free from all exhibition of temper or mortification. 
His demeanor was that of a thoroughly possessed 
gentleman who had a very disagreeable duty to per- 
form, but was determined to get through it as well 
and as soon as possible." 

On the day after the capitulation, General Lee 
issued the following farewell address to his old 
soldiers : 



l60 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, 
April io, 1865. 
General Order, No. 9. 

Veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia : 
After four years of arduous service, marked by un- 
surpassed courage and fortitude, the army of North- 
ern Virginia has been compelled to yield to over- 
whelming numbers and resources. 

I need not tell the survivors of so many hard- 
fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the 
last, that I have consented to this result from no dis- 
trust of them ; but, feeling that valor and devotion 
could accomplish nothing that could compensate for 
the loss that would have attended the continuation 
of the contest, I have determined to avoid the useless 
sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared 
them to their countrymen. 

By the terms of agreement, officers and men can 
return to their homes and remain there until ex- 
changed. 

You will take with you the satisfaction that pro- 
ceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully per- 
formed ; and I earnestly pray that a merciful God 
will extend to you His blessing and protection. 

With an unceasing admiration of your constancy 
and devotion to your country, and a grateful remem- 
brance of your kindness and generous consideration 
of myself, I bid you, soldiers, an affectionate farewell. 

R. E. Lee, General. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. l6l 

On the 1 2th of April the army of Northern Vir- 
ginia made their last sad march to Appomattox Court- 
House, and laid down the arms which they had 
never dishonored, and the flags which had floated 
over heroes as brave, and battle-fields as gloriously 
contested, as ancient or modern history can boast. . 

The victors were kind and considerate of the feel- 
ings of our vanquished heroes. Neither music nor 
cheers were heard, except distant music from those 
who were not aware of what was passing, and that 
was apologized for by one of the officers. But the 
heart of the South was broken ; the sword of Robert 
Lee was sheathed forever. 

The sadness of that thought called forth from our 
gifted Southern poet, "Father Ryan," the follow- 
ing touching lines : 

« THE SWORD OF LEE." 
" Forth from its scabbard, pure and bright, 
Flashed forth the sword of Lee ! 
For in the front of the deadly fight, 
High o'er the brave, in the cause of right, 
Its stainless sheen, like a beacon light, 
Led us to victory. 

" Out of its scabbard, where full long 
It slumbered peacefully — 
Roused from its rest by the battle -song, 
Shielding the feeble, smiting the strong, 
Guarding the right, and avenging the wrong — 
Gleamed the sword of Lee! 
14* L 



l62 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

" Forth from the scabbard, high in air, 
Beneath Virginia's sky ; 
And they who saw it gleaming there, 
And knew who bore it, knelt to swear 
That where that sword led they would dare 
To follow and to die. 

" Out of its scabbard ! Never hand 
Waved sword from stain so free, 
Nor purer sword led braver band, 
Nor braver bled for a brighter land, 
Nor brighter land had a cause as grand, 
Never cause a chief like Lee ! 

"Forth from the scabbard! how we prayed 
That sword might victor be ! 
And when our triumph was delayed, 

And many a heart grew sore afraid, 
We still hoped on, while gleamed the blade 
Of noble Robert Lee J 

" Forth from its scabbard ! all in vain ! 

Forth flashed the sword of Lee ! 
' Tis shrouded now in its sheath again ; 
It sleeps the sleep of our noble slain. 
Defeated, yet without a stain, 

Proudly and peacefully." 

' ' The painful arrangements being over, General Lee 
set out for Richmond, like his men, a paroled prisoner. 
The parting from the soldiers was most pathetic. He 
pressed the hand of each man who stood near 
enough; uttered a farewell which can be better 
imagined than described ; mounted his noble ' Trav- 
eller,' and slowly left the scene of his deep mortifi- 



► THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 163 

cation. Accompanied by a party of about twenty-five 
horsemen, among whom was a detachment of Federal 
cavalry, he turned his face towards Richmond. 
Among the wagons carrying the private effects of the 
party was the well-known old black vehicle which he 
had occasionally used during the war when too unwell 
to travel on horseback. He had also been in the habit 
of carrying stores for the wounded, but had never used 
it for transporting articles for his own convenience. ' ' * 

During the ride, the impoverished people watched 
for him, to welcome him with demonstrations of 
affection and admiration. They had provisions pre- 
pared for him, and were gratified to have him under 
their roofs, and to give anything, everything, for his 
comfort. He gratified them by most graciously ac- 
cepting their kindness; but said to one of his officers, 
" These people are kind, too kind. Their hearts are 
as full as when we began our first campaign in 1861. 
They do too much, for they cannot now afford it." 

He seemed unwilling to give up his soldierly hab- 
its, for when a poor woman, at whose house he 
stopped, showed him a nice bed she had prepared 
for him, he courteously declined, and, spreading his 
blanket down, he slept on the floor. He was evi- 
dently unwilling to enjoy comforts which the gen- 
tlemen who accompanied him could not share. 
* J. E. Cooke. 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

LEE 'RETURNS TO RICHMOND. 

WHEN within a mile or two of Richmond he 
rode ahead of his escort, only accompanied 
by a few officers. Mayo's bridge had been destroyed 
when the Confederates retreated, but crossing a 
pontoon bridge placed there by the Federals, he 
crossed into Richmond, — sad, enthralled Richmond, 
enslaved and in ruins. What a sorrowful sight to 
him, as he rode through the masses of rubbish in 
the burnt district, which reached nearly to the resi- 
dence of his family. Cary and Main Streets, and 
large portions of others were in ruins. 

As soon as he was recognized, the intelligence 
spread from lip to lip that General Lee had come. 
The inhabitants rushed from their homes to welcome 
him 3 the streets re-echoed with cheers and shouts, 
and were gay once more with waving handkerchiefs 

and other demonstrations of welcome. He wished 

164 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. l6$ 

to avoid this outpouring of feeling. He raised his 
hat and courteously bowed, but rode on in silence 
to his own home, where his wife and children awaited 
him. When he entered the house, the crowd silently 
withdrew; no one intruded on his privacy. The 
circumstances were too painful, and the very rabble 
respected his desire to be alone with his family. 

The following entry is in the diary of a gentle- 
man then in Richmond. " General Lee is in Rich- 
mond. He came without parade, but couldn't 
come unobserved. As soon as his appearance was 
whispered about, a crowd gathered in his path, not 
boisterously, but respectfully, and thickening rapidly 
as he advanced to his house on Franklin Street, be- 
tween 8th and 9th, when, with a courtly bow to the 
multitude, he at once retired to the bosom of his 
own beloved family. How universal and profound is 
the respect felt for this great commander, though re- 
turning from defeat and disaster ! He had done all 
that could be accomplished with the means placed 
under his control, all that skill and valor could do. 
The scenes of the surrender were noble and touch- 
ing beyond the power of language to describe. Gen- 
eral Grant's bearing was profoundly respectful ; Gen- 
eral Lee's courtly and lofty as the purest chivalry 
could require. The terms, so honorable to all par- 



l66 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

ties, being complied with to the letter, our arms 
were laid down with breaking hearts and tears 
such as sternest warriors may shed ! ' Woe worth 
the day.' " 

" All over now ! The trumpet-blast, 

The hurried trampling to and fro, 
The sky with battle smoke o'ercast, 

The flood of death and woe, 
All ended now. The siren song 

Of Hope's ecstatic lay is hushed ; 
And minor chords, in plaintive tones, 

Wail out where gayer notes are crushed. 

" 'Neath feathery snow, in hallowed ground, 

By far Potomac's rippling stream, 
Our loved ones sleep ; the lulling waves 

Can ne'er disturb the soldier's dream. 
They whisper, ' Peace,' — the dove of peace, 

Like Noah's, searches for her nest ; 
She folds her wings among the dead, 

But with the living finds no rest. 

" All over now ! We gave our all — 
Our loved ones, homes, and prayers ; 
God wills that we awhile shall wait, 

In bitterness and tears. 
What need of tears ? Why must they flow, 
When all but life and breath are gone? 
God help us all ! and help the heart 
To murmur still,' Thy will be done ! ' " 




CHAPTER XIX. 

THE LOVE OF HIS SOLDIERS. 

NONE who were in Richmond after General 
Lee's return thither, can forget how eagerly 
the citizens availed themselves of every opportunity 
to do him homage. How they loved him ; how their 
hearts mingled with his in sympathy and sorrow ; 
how they felt the " union and communion of hearts 
that had been fused by tribulation." In the hour 
of success, they had almost idolized him ; now they 
had the sweeter feeling of a love which was purified 
by suffering. The Northern tourists, who came with 
haste to see the rebel city which had given them so 
much trouble, now clustered about the door to see the 
man whom they had feared, but now honored because 
of his moral grandeur in adversity. He received 
most courteously a deputation of Federal officers who 
had come to show their appreciation of his char- 
acter and their good feelings towards him. But 

167 



l68 GENERAL ROBERT E. JLEE, 

the expressions of affection which had gratified him 
more than any others, were those of his soldiers. 
These soldiers, who were now constantly returning 
from the Northern prisons, all ragged and dirty as 
they were, could not, they said, return to their ruined 
homes without once more seeing their beloved com- 
mander. 

General Lee often said that those interviews gave 
him great pain, but he could not avoid them, with- 
out " wounding the feelings of those warm-hearted 
soldiers." 

One day he was called down to see two old sol- 
diers, who advanced towards him with the military 
salute, and immediately told him that they were 
sent by " some fellows round the corner," who were 
too badly dressed to come before him. They 
had just returned from prison. "Come, go with 
us," they begged, "and a whole army can't take 
you from us. We want to take care of you. They 
have captured our President, and they threaten you. 
Come to our mountains, where we will die in your 
defence." 

"But," answered the General, "you would not 
have your General run away and hide Himself. He 
must stay and meet his fate." 

He then explained to them that the terms of the 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 169 

surrender ensured his safety, and that he relied on 
General Grant's word. He cotlld, however, with 
difficulty, dissuade them from their generous pur- 
pose. He then insisted upon their accepting two 
suits of his own clothes, as he had nothing else to 
offer in memory of him, and as an assurance of his 
gratitude for their disinterested love for him. They 
pressed the clothes to their lips with warmth, and 
then returned to their comrades to tell them the 
result of their mission, and to exhibit their prize. 
Who can doubt that those clothes are treasured up, 
to be handed down to their children's children, as a 
most precious legacy. 

Miss Mason, in her "Popular Life of Lee," re- 
lates one other well-authenticated anecdote, showing 
the love with which he inspired the plainest of his 
soldiers. 

"A warm-hearted Irishman, one day, appeared at 
his door, and being told that the General was busy 
writing, and wished to be excused, replied, ' I know 
he is busy : I will detain him but one moment. I 
only want to take him by the hand. ' At this moment, 
the General, who was passing through the hall, heard 
these words, and came forward, offering his hand, 
which was grasped with intense emotion. ' I have 
come all the way from Baltimore to take your hand. 
15 



I/O GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

I have three sons born during the war — Beauregard, 
Fitz-Lee, and Robert Lee. My wife would never 
forgive me if I should go home without seeing you. 
God bless you ! ' And with this outburst he de- 
parted." 

It is said by those who knew him best, that even 
while suffering most from the mortification of defeat, 
he never expressed one word of bitterness against 
the North, but always set an example of moderation 
and Christian forbearance, and tried to reconcile 
others to their fate by bearing his own with equanim- 
ity, and even cheerfulness. Many young men, in the 
bitterness of their disappointment, wished to leave 
the country. This he always discouraged, and ad- 
vised them to stay at home, and heal the wounds 
from which the South was suffering. During the 
war, he never allowed a word of harshness towards 
the enemy, without rebuking it by example or word. 

After the battle of Spottsylvania Court-House, 
one of his Generals standing near,.looked towards 
the Federal army, and in bitterness of spirit said, 
with a scowl, " I wish they were all dead ! " 

General Lee immediately turned to him and said, 
with his benevolent smile, " How can you say that, 
General ? I wish they were at home attending to 
their business, and leaving us to do the same. Let 
us wish them nothing worse. ' ' 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 171 

It was this feeling of the purest Christianity which 
enabled him during the war to* resist the appeals 
made to him to adopt measures of retaliation. 
Thus, in the hostile portions of Maryland, and in 
Pennsylvania, when the men longed to turn their 
horses on the rich fields of grain, and to refresh 
themselves by forcibly partaking of the good things 
which were around them in the most tempting abun- 
dance, or, as one of the men expressed it, "Just to 
apply the fagot to one house, to pay for the one burned 
over the head of my wife and children on the Mis- 
sissippi," their General would reply, " No ; if I suf- 
fer my army to pursue such a course, I cannot invoke 
the blessing of God on my arms." 

Forgiveness of enemies seems to have been a prin- 
ciple so deeply interwoven with his life as to become 
a part of his purified nature. This was peculiarly 
exemplified when a gentleman called upon him, at 
the request of a Federal officer, to communicate to 
him that he had been, or would be, indicted in the 
United States Court at Norfolk for treason. The 
gentleman could not resist the impulse to express his 
indignation at such conduct in our oppressors. As 
he was about to take his leave, General Lee arose, 
took his hand, and said, with a gracious smile and most 
kindly tones, " We must forgive our enemies. I can 



172 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

truly say, that not a day has passed since the war 
began that I have not prayed for them." 

The same spirit induced him to rebuke gently a 
lady who, having been made a widow by the war, 
brought her two sons to Washington College to put 
them under General Lee's care. In alluding to the 
past, she expressed herself with great bitterness to- 
wards the North. General Lee, with a sympathetic 
voice, replied, " Madam, do not bring up your sons 
in hostility to the United States. Remember, we are 
one country now. Dismiss from your mind all sec- 
tional feeling, and bring your children up Ameri- 
cans." 

That he would share his substance with them is 
attested by a citizen of the North, who thus describes 
an interview with him. 

" One day, last summer, I saw General Lee stand- 
ing at his gate, talking pleasantly to an humbly clad 
man, who seemed very much pleased at the cordial 
courtesy of the great chieftain, and •turned off evi- 
dently delighted as we came up. After exchanging 
salutations, the General said, pointing to the retreat- 
ing form, ' That is one of our old soldiers in neces- 
sitous circumstances.' I took it for granted that it 
was some veteran Confederate, when the noble- 
minded chieftain quietly added, ' He fought on the 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 1/3 

other side ; but we must not think of that.' I after- 
wards ascertained, not from General Lee, — for he 
never alluded to his charities, — that he had not only 
spoken kindly to this old soldier ' who had fought 
on the other side,' but he had sent him on his way 
rejoicing in a liberal contribution to his necessities." 
" While President of Washington College, General 
Lee was present, one night, when a party of gentlemen 
were discussing some recent legislation of Congress 
on Southern affairs. They spoke with indignation 
and bitterness of the unjust and ungenerous treat- 
ment of the South. He remained silent ; but when 
the conversation was over, wrote the following lines 
upon a slip of paper and handed them to the gen- 
tlemen, saying, 'If a heathen poet could write in 
this way, what should be the feeling of a Chris- 
tian?' 

" ' Learn from yon orient shell to love thy foe, 

And store with pearls the hand that brings thee woe. 
Free, like yon rock, from base, vindictive pride, 
Emblaze with gems the wrist that rends thy side. 
Mark, where yon tree rewards the stony shower 
With fruit nectareous or the balmy flower. 
All nature cries aloud, " Shall man do less 
Than heal the smiter, and the railer bless ? " ' " * 

General Lee had offered his all to his country — his 
life, his sons, his fortune, his home ; but, now that 

* Miss Mason's Popular Life of General Lee. 

15* 



1/4 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

his mighty efforts had proved unavailing, with a 
Christian spirit rarely attained by mortal man, he 
bowed to the decree of his heavenly Father, and 
set an example to his countrymen of forbearance 
and forgiveness, which it were well for them to fol- 
low. It was not that he loved the South less, but his 
duty to God more. 

He was a devoted member of the Episcopal Church, 
but most liberal in his sentiments to other sects. An 
anecdote is told of a Jewish soldier who, during the 
last days of the army near Petersburg, asked a fur- 
lough that he might go to Richmond to attend the 
feast of the Passover. His captain endorsed on the 
paper, " If all these applications are granted, we shall 
have the whole army turning shaking Quakers." ^ 

General Lee sent back the petition with a kind 
note to the soldier, regretting that the exigencies of 
the times prevented his acceding to a request so 
natural and proper. Below the endorsement he 
wrote: "We should always have charity for those 
who differ from us in religion, and give every man 
all the aid in our power to keep the requirements of 
his faith." 

We find several instances related of his delicacy 
in giving reproof, which also exhibits his quiet 
humor. "Late one night, he had occasion to go 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 1/5 

into a tent where several officers were sitting around 
a table, on which was a stone jug and two tin cups, 
busily engaged in the discussion of a mathematical 
problem. The General obtained the information 
he desired, gave a solution of the problem, and re- 
tired, the officers hoping that he had not noticed the 
jug. The next day, one of the officers, in presence 
of the others, related to General Lee a very strange 
dream he had had the night before. ' That is not at 
all surprising,' replied General Lee; 'when young 
gentlemen discuss at midnight mathematical prob- 
lems, the unknown quantities of which are a stone 
jug and two tin cups, they may expect to have 
strange dreams.' " * 

Upon one occasion, while inspecting the lines 
near Petersburg, with several general officers, he 

asked General if a certain work, which he had 

directed him to complete as soon as possible, had 
been finished. General looked rather con- 
fused, but said that it was. General Lee at once 
proposed to ride in that direction. On getting to 
the place, he found that no progress had been made 

on the work since he was last there. General 

apologized, and said that he had not been on that 

part of the line for some time, but that Captain 

* Miss Mason. 



I76 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

had told him that the work was completed. General 
Lee made no reply, but not long after began to 
compliment General on the horse he rode. 

"Yes, sir," replied General , "he is a very- 
fine animal. He belongs to my wife." 

"A remarkably fine horse," replied General Lee, 
" but not a safe one for Mrs. . He is too mettle- 
some by far, and you ought to take the mettle out 
of him before you permit her to ride him. And let 
me suggest, General, that an admirable way to do 
that is to ride him a good deal along these trenches. ' ' 
The face of the gallant General turned crim- 
son, and General Lee's eyes twinkled with mischief. 
No further allusion was made to the matter; but 
General adopted the suggestion. 

The admirable control which he exercised over 
the army, was probably, in a great measure, owing 
to his self-control. The habits of self-restraint and 
self-denial, which he formed so early in life, were 
most important attributes of his great character. It 
is said that he never yielded to passion or impulse 
in dealing with his officers or men. Courtesy and 
urbanity ever marked his intercourse with them, and 
though firm, he was always tender-hearted and sym- 
pathetic, merciful and just. 




CHAPTER XX. 

LEE IS INVITED TO THE PRESIDENCY OF WASHING- 
TON COLLEGE, AND ACCEPTS THE POSITION. 

DURING the spring and summer of 1865, Gen- 
eral Lee had kindness. extended to him with 
unparalleled generosity. It is said that estates were 
offered to him in England and Ireland, which he 
most courteously declined. He also declined the 
place of commercial agent of the South in New York, 
which would have proved lucrative in the extreme, 
preferring to share the broken fortunes of his native 
State'. In the summer of that year he accepted the 
invitation of a lady to take his family to her house 
in Powhatan County for the summer. While there, 
an invitation was extended to him by the Trustees of 
Washington College, Lexington, Virginia, to be- 
come the President of that institution. To this in- 
vitation General Lee made the following character- 
istic reply : 

M 177 



I78 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Powhatan County, August 24th, 1865. 

Gentlemen : — I have delayed for some days 
replying to your letter of the 5th instant inform- 
ing me of my election, by the Board of Trustees, 
to the Presidency of Washington College, from a 
desire to give the subject due consideration. Fully 
impressed with the responsibilities of the office, I 
have feared that I should be unable to discharge its 
duties to the satisfaction of the Trustees, or to the 
benefit of the country. The proper education of 
youth requires not only great ability, but, I fear, 
more strength than I now possess ; for I do not feel 
able to undergo the labor of conducting classes in 
regular courses of instruction. I could not, there- 
fore, undertake more than the general administra- 
tion and supervision of the institution. 

There is another subject which I think worthy of 
the consideration of the Board. Being excluded 
from the terms of amnesty in the proclamation of 
the United States of the 29th of May last, and an 
object of censure to a portion of the country, I have 
thought it probable that my occupation of the posi- 
tion of president might draw upon the college a 
feeling of hostility, and I should therefore cause 
injury to an institution which it would be my highest 
object to advance. 

I think it the duty of every citizen, in the present 
condition of the country, to do all in his power to 
aid in the restoration of peace and harmony, and in 
no way to oppose the policy of the State or general 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 179 

Government directed to that object. It is particu- 
larly incumbent on those charged with the instruction 
of the young to set them an example of submission 
to authority, and I could not consent to be the cause 
of animadversion upon the college. Should you, 
however, take a different view, and think that my 
services, in the position tendered by the Board, will 
be advantageous to the college and the country, I 
will yield to your judgment and accept it ; other- 
wise I must respectfully decline the offer. 

Begging you to express to the Trustees of the col- 
lege my heartfelt gratitude for the honor conferred 
upon me, and requesting you to accept my cordial 
thanks for the kind manner in which you have com- 
municated its decision, 

I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant, 

Robert E. Lee. 

Messrs. J. W. Brockenbrough, Rector. 
Ch. McD. Reid ; Alfred Leyburn, Horatio 
Thompson, D. D., Bolivar Christian, T. J. 
Kirkpatrick, Committee. 



The Trustees were but too much gratified to be 
able to overcome his scruples, so delicately ex- 
pressed, and his installation into office took place 
on the 2d of October, 1865. The full account of 
the ceremonies has been thus described by a spec- 
tator : 

" General Robert E. Lee was to-day installed 



l80 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

President of Washington College. There was no 
pomp or parade. The exercises of installation 
were the simplest possible ; an exact compliance 
with the required formula of taking the oath by a 
new president, and nothing more. This was in 
accordance with the special request of General Lee. 
It was proposed to have the installation take place 
in the college chapel, to send invitations far and 
wide, to have a band of music to play enlivening 
airs, to have young girls robed in white and bearing 
chaplets of flowers, to sing songs of welcome, to 
have congratulatory speeches, to make it a holiday. 
That this programme was not carried out was a 
source of severe disappointment to many. But 
General Lee had expressed his wishes contrary to 
the choice and determination of the college Trus- 
tees and the multitude, and his wishes were com- 
plied with. 

"The installation took place at 9 a.m., in a 
recitation-room of the college. In this room were 
seated the Faculty and the students, the ministers of 
the town churches, a magistrate, and the county 
clerk ; the last officials being necessary to the 
ceremonial. General Lee was ushered into the 
room by the Board of Trustees. Upon his entrance 
and introduction all in the room rose, bowed, and 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. l8l 

then resumed their seats. Prayer by the Rev. Dr. 
White, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, directly 
followed. To me it was a noticeable fact, and per- 
haps worthy of record, that he prayed for the Presi- 
dent of the United States. Altogether, it was a 
most fitting and impressive prayer. 

" The prayer ended, Judge Brockenbrough, chair- 
man of the Board of Trustees, stated the object of 
their coming together, to install General Lee as 
President of Washington College. He felt the se- 
rious dignity of the occasion, but it was a seriousness 
and dignity that should be mingled with heart -felt 
joy and gladness. Passing a brief eulogy upon Gen- 
eral Lee, he congratulated the Board and College, 
and its present and future students, on having ob- 
tained one so loved, great, and worthy to preside 
.over the college. General Lee remained standing, 
his arms quietly folded, calmly and steadfastly look- 
ing into the eyes of the speaker. Justice William 
White, at the instance of Judge Brockenbrough, now 
administered the oath of office to General Lee. 

''For the benefit of those curious to know," adds 
the eye-witness, " I will give the oath, to which Gen- 
eral Lee subscribed, entire. It is as follows : 

" ' I do swear that I will, to the best of my skill 

and judgment, faithfully and truly discharge the du- 
16 



l82 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

ties required of me by an Act entitled " An Act for 
incorporating the Rector and Trustees of Liberty 
Hall Academy," without favor, affection, or par- 
tiality: so help me God.' 

" To this oath General Lee at once affixed his sig- 
nature, with the accompanying usual jurat of the 
swearing magistrate appended. The document was 
handed to the county clerk for safe and perpetual 
custodianship, and at the same time the keys of the 
college were given up by the Rector into the keep- 
ing of the new President. 

"A congratulatory shaking of hands followed, 
which wound up the day's brief but pleasing, im- 
pressive, and memorable ceremonial. President Lee 
and those of the Trustees present, with the Faculty, 
now passed into the room set apart for the use of 
the President — a good-sized room, newly and very 
tastefully furnished. 

" General Lee was dressed in a plain but elegant 
suit of gray. His appearance indicated the enjoy- 
ment of good health — better, I should say, than 
when he surrendered at Appomattox Court-House, 
the first and only occasion, before the present, of my 
having seen him." 

The institution of which he had become President 
was a wreck, having been robbed of its library, torn 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 183 

and defaced during the war; but "Ambition had no 
charms for him, duty alone was his guide." It must 
have been a duty uncongenial to his tastes, and un- 
suited to the active habits of his life ; but the army 
to him being a thing of the past, he determined that 
the remnant of his valuable life should not be wasted, 
but devoted to raising his stricken country, by train- 
ing its youth in the paths of religion, literature, and 
honor. 

When asked why he undertook this "broken- 
down institution," he calmly replied, "I have a 
mission to fulfil." And in fulfilling the mission he 
displayed the zest and ardor with which he had led 
his troops on the battle-field. 

Though gentle and affectionate as a disciplinarian, 
he was very firm, being particularly careful that 
nothing like falsehood, dishonorable conduct, or 
disobedience to lawful authority should be over- 
looked. "The whole college," said one of the 
professors, "felt his influence," and his character 
was quietly yet irresistibly impressed upon it. 




CHAPTER XXI. 

LEE'S MODE OF LIFE AT LEXINGTON, AND DEATH. 

SOON after entering on the duties of the Presi- 
dent of the college, he was offered, by the agent 
of an insurance company, its presidency, with a sal- 
ary of ten thousand dollars. He told the agent that 
he could not give up his position in the college, and 
that he could not properly attend to both. 

" But, General," said the agent, " we do not want 
you to discharge any duties. We simply wish the 
use of your name." 

" Excuse me, sir," was his decided reply. "I 
cannot consent to receive pay for services I do not 
render." 

But a short time before his death, a large manufac- 
turing company in New York offered him a salary 
of fifty thousand dollars if he would become their 
president. He answered that his duty to the col- 
lege fully occupied his time, and he could not re- 
ceive pay where he did not render service. When 

184 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 185 

the college wished to raise his salary, he would not 
allow it ; and when the Trustees deeded to Mrs. Lee 
a house and an annuity of three thousand dollars, in 
Mrs. Lee's name, he respectfully declined it. "He 
declined all gratuities," says the Christian Observer; 
" and though a loving people, for whom he had toiled 
so heroically, would most joyously have settled on 
him a handsome property, he preferred to earn his 
daily bread by his personal exertion, and to set to 
his people an example of honest industry." 

As soon as Washington College was blessed by 
such a head, it became (except the University of 
Virginia) the most popular place in the South for 
the education of young men, who were attracted 
thither by his great name. Many of them doubtless 
had been led by him on the field of battle, and were 
proud to be led by him in the paths of literature. He 
entered upon his duties most heartily, and became 
deeply interested in each and every one of the stu- 
dents. To an old comrade in arms he wrote: "I 
am charmed with the duties of civil life." 

"He found the college," wrote one of the pro- 
fessors, after his death, "practically bankrupt, dis- 
organized, deserted ; he left it rich, strong, and 
crowded with students." "Had this been the profes- 
sion of his life," says the same professor, "General 
16* 



l86 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Lee would have been as famous among college 
presidents as he is now among soldiers." 

He was personally very popular among the stu- 
dents. He labored for their advancement in all that 
was good and great iri mind and character, day after 
day and year after year, and it is scarcely necessary 
to add how much they loved him. His "General 
Orders," as the boys called them, were always re- 
spected and obeyed. They were couched in the 
most courteous and gentle terms, which came to the 
hearts of the students with a persuasiveness that they 
could not resist. The one quoted below is a speci- 
men. 

Washington College, Nov. 26, 1866. 

The Faculty desire to call the attention of the 
students to the disturbances which occurred in the 
streets of Lexington on the nights of Friday and 
Saturday last. They believe that none can contem- 
plate them with pleasure, or can find any reasonable 
grounds for their justification. These acts are said 
to have been committed by students of the College, 
with the apparent object of disturbing the peace and 
quiet of a town whose inhabitants have opened their 
doors for their reception and accommodation, and 
who are always ready to administer to their comfort 
and pleasure. 

It requires but little consideration to see the error 
of such conduct, which could only have proceeded 
from thoughtlessness and a want of reflection. The 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDHER. 187 

Faculty therefore appeal to the honor and self-re- 
spect of the students to prevent any similar occur- 
rence, trusting that their sense of what is due to them- 
selves, their parents, and the institution to which they 
belong, will be more effectual in teaching them what 
is right and manly, than anything they can say. 

There is one consideration connected with these dis- 
orderly proceedings, which the Faculty wish to bring 
to your particular notice : the example of your con- 
duct, and the advantage taken of it by others, to 
commit outrages for which you have to bear the 
blame. They therefore exhort you to adopt the 
only course capable of shielding you from such 
charges — the effectual prevention of all such occur- 
rences in future. R. E. Lee, 

President of Washington College. 

Nothing could have been more kind and parental 
than such communications to students who felt that 
they deserved severe censure ; and is it wonderful 
that they should have looked on him with a venera- 
tion little short of idolatry ? With what satisfaction 
must the students who had the privilege of being 
under his Christian influence during those five years, 
look back to the time of their sojourn at Washing- 
ton College. How blessed may have been his teach- 
ing and example to those who were willing to profit 
by them ; their children may rise up to call him 
blessed, and the effect of his pure and undefiled reli- 
gion be handed down from generation to generation. 



188 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

The Rev. J. Wm. Jones, though not of the same 
denomination of Christians, had many opportuni- 
ties, while a chaplain in the army, to observe and 
admire General Lee's deep and unaffected piety. 
After the war he resided in Lexington, and being 
frequently thrown with him, he seemed still more 
deeply impressed with his simple earnestness and 
devotion to the cause of religion. 

After the death of General Lee, he published in 
the newspapers an interesting sketch of his religious 
life, in which he says, " With the close of the war, 
and the afflictions which came upon the country, 
the piety of this great man seems to have mellowed 
and deepened. The writer could fill pages about 
his life at Lexington, and the bright evidence he 
gave of vital, active godliness. His place in the 
chapel and in his own church was never vacant, 
unless he was kept away by sickness. He was a con- 
stant reader and diligent student of the Bible. He 
was a most liberal contributor to his church and to 
other objects of benevolence. And then his manner 
of giving was so modest and unostentatious. In 
handing the writer a very handsome contribution to 
the 'Lexington Baptist Church Building Fund,' he 
quietly said, ' Will you do me the kindness to hand 
this to your treasurer, and save me the trouble of 
hunting him up? I am getting old now, and you 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 1 89 

young men must help me.' And his whole manner 
was that of one receiving, not bestowing a favor. 

" General Lee was not accustomed to talk of his 
religious feelings ; yet he would, when occasion 
.offered, speak most decidedly of his reliance for sal- 
vation upon the merits of his Redeemer, and none 
who heard him could doubt for a moment that his 
faith was built on the ' Rock of Ages.' He mani- 
fested the deepest concern for the spiritual welfare 
of the young men under his care. Soon after be- 
coming President of the College, he said, with deep 
feeling, to the Rev. Dr. White, the venerable pastor 
of the Presbyterian Church, ' I shall be disappointed, 
sir, and I shall fail in the leading object that brought 
me here, unless these young men become real Chris- 
tians; and I wish you, and others of your sacred 
profession, to do all that you can to accomplish it.' 

"At the beginning of each session he was accus- 
tomed to address a letter to the pastors of the town, 
inviting them to conduct the chapel service, and 
urging them to do all in their power for the spiritual 
good of the students. At the ' Concert of Prayer 
for Colleges,' in Lexington, last year, the writer 
made an address, in which he urged that the great 
need of our colleges was a genuine revival — that this 
could only come from God ; and that inasmuch as 
He had promised His Holy Spirit to those who ask 



I9O GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

it, we should make special prayer for a revival in 
the colleges of the country, and particularly in Wash- 
ington College and the Virginia Military Institute. 
At the close of the meeting, General Lee came to 
me and said, with more than his usual warmth, ' I 
wish, sir, to thank you for that address. It was just 
what we needed. Our great want is a revival which 
shall bring these young men to Christ.' 

"During the great revival in the Military Insti- 
tute two years ago, he said to his pastor, * This is 
the best news I have heard since I have been in Lex- 
ington. Would that we could have such a revival 
in all of our colleges.' 

" Rev. Dr. Kirkpatrick, Professor of Moral Phi- 
losophy in Washington College, relates the following 
conversation that he had with Gen. Lee a short time 
previous to his death. We had been conversing for 
some time respecting the religious welfare of the stu- 
dents. Gen. Lee's feelings soon became so intense 
that for a time his utterance was choked ; but recover- 
ing himself, with his eyes overflowing with tears, his 
lips quivering with emotion, and both hands raised, 
he exclaimed, 'Oh, Doctor! if I could only know 
that all these young men in the college were good 
Christians, I should have nothing more to desire.' 

"Although General Lee was sincerely attached to 
the church of his choice, yet his large heart took in 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I9I 

Christians of every name. He treated the ministers 
of all denominations with the most marked courtesy 
and respect, and not a few will cordially echo the 
remark of the venerable Dr. White, who said with 
deep feeling, during the memorial, ' He belonged to 
one branch of the church and I to another ; yet in 
my intercourse with him, — an intercourse rendered 
far more frequent and intimate by the tender sym- 
pathy he felt in my ill health, — the thought never 
occurred, to me that we belonged to different 
churches. His love for the truth, and for all that is 
good and useful, was such as to render his brotherly 
kindness and charity as boundless as were the wants 
and sorrows of the race.' We could," continues 
Mr. Jones, "easily multiply incidents, and write 
more on the religious character of our beloved 
and honored chieftain, but the above must suffice." 

Thus he seems to have impressed all good men, 
of every denomination, with feelings of admiration 
and love for his deep piety and genuine love for all 
Christians of every name. He was a devoted Epis- 
copalian, but, with the truly catholic spirit of the 
large-hearted follower of Christ, he did not love 
other churches less for loving his own more. 

The Rev. J. W. Jones tells another characteristic 
anecdote of his venerated friend : 

" Not long before the evacuation of Petersburg, 



I92 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

Mr. J. was distributing tracts along the trenches, 
when General Lee, accompanied by General J. B. 
Gordon, General A. P. Hill, and other general 
officers, with their staffs, approached. They were 
inspecting our lines and reconnoitring those of the 
enemy. The keen eye of General Gordon recog- 
nized, and his cordial grasp detained, the humble 
tract distributor, as he warmly inquired about his 
work. General Lee at once reined in his horse 
and joined in the conversation ; the rest of them 
gathered around, and the colporteur thus became 
the centre of a group of whose notice the highest 
princes of the earth might be proud. General Lee 
asked if we ever had calls for prayer-books, and 
said that if we would come to his headquarters, he 
would give us some for distribution. That a friend 
in Richmond had given him a new prayer-book, 
and upon his saying that he would give his old one, 
that he had used ever since the Mexican War, to some 
soldier, the friend had offered him a dozen new 
books for his old one ; and he had, of course, ac- 
cepted so good an offer, and now had twelve instead 
of one to give away. We called at the appointed 
hour. The General had gone out on some important 
business, but (even amid his pressing duties) he had 
left the prayer-books with a member of his staff, 
with instructions concerning them. He had written 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I93 

on the fly-leaf, ' Presented by R. E. Lee j ' and we 
are sure that the gallant men who received them, 
and who have survived the war, will cherish them 
as precious legacies, and hand them down as heir- 
looms in their families." 

The Rev. T. U. Dudley, in his "Memorial Ad- 
dress" in Baltimore, speaks of an incident which 
occurred during a general review, which, like every- 
thing which is told of him, shows his veneration for 
sacred things, and his tender consideration for the 
feelings of others. It was near Winchester, in the 
bleak winter of 1862. The review had been ordered 
by General Lee. "One of those sad reviews," says 
Mr. Dudley, "which we all so well remember — 
so sad, and yet so necessary to the discipline of the 
army. There were no bright trappings, nor glitter 
of gold ; the only glitter was the fire of determina- 
tion in brave men's eyes. But all would appear in 
their best. There was a chaplain who, in obedi- 
ence, as he believed, to this order, put on the pure 
white robe of his office and went to the review. 
Doubtless he heard the derisive laugh, the sneering 
remarks of those about him ; but when the com- 
mand he marched with passed the great chief, lifting 
his hat, he said, ' I salute the Church of God.' The 
eye that was busy inspecting the accoutrements, the 
17 N 



194 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE,- 

arms, the troops in which he trusted to do the work 
he had to do, could see the chaplain's robe. The 
commander, who sat in the immovable majesty we 
can remember so well, bent his uncovered head to 
salute the Church of the God he served." 

A late writer in Blackwood' 's Magazine pro- 
nounces General Lee the "greatest soldier, with 
two exceptions, that any English-speaking nation 
ever produced." Were Marlborough and Welling- 
ton regarded as his superiors, or was our own 
Washington one of the exceptions ? We know 
not ; we are not portraying General Lee as a mili- 
tary man, but as a soldier of Christ. In that 
character he has' passed through a long, active life ; 
surrounded by the snares and temptations of the 
camp ; exposed to the most harrowing trials and 
disappointments, and finally he became the victim 
to the most cruel overthrow of his dearest hopes. 
And yet his conduct seemed almost blameless. 
With clean hands and a pure heart he trod his thorny 
path, giving evidence, by his daily walk and conversa- 
tion, that he was led by the Spirit of God ; for, in the 
language of President Davis, " this good citizen, this 
gallant soldier, this great general, this true patriot, 
had yet a higher praise, — he was a true Christian." 

However it may be regretted by his biographer 
that he was undemonstrative, and lias left few inci- 



/ 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDI ER. I95 

dents to record of his religious experience ; yet we 
cannot closely contemplate his Christian character 
without feeling how beautiful and consistent it was 
in all its parts ; how closely he walked with God ; 
how in joy he found " delight in praise, and in sor- 
row sought relief in prayer." His bright example 
remains the praise of the whole earth, and to bless 
his countrymen to the remotest generation. But he 
is not — for God took him. 

On the evening of the 28th of September, 1870, 
after a morning of great fatigue, he presided at a 
vestry meeting of Grace Church, Lexington, of 
which he was a member. After taking part in the 
meeting, he returned home in his usual health. On 
being summoned to tea, he walked to the table, and 
the family waited for him to ask a blessing on the 
meal — which had always been his habit in his 
family and in the camp ; but his parted lips uttered 
no sound. He sank back into his chair, from which 
he was carried to his bed. The physicians at once 
pronounced the disease congestion of the brain. 

For many days his family and friends surrounded 
his bed, praying and hoping for one trace of im- 
provement, for one ray of returning reason. The 
intelligence quickly spread through the whole coun- 
try, filling every heart with anxiety. The alterna- 
tions between hope and fear continued but a few 



I96 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, 

days. There was no decided return of reason. He 
muttered of the battle-field* Among his last words 
were : " Strike my tent ! Send for Hill ! " * 

On the 1 2th of October, at nine o'clock in the 
morning, the ransomed spirit of General Lee en- 
tered into its eternal rest. Of the grief which 
pervaded the South, when the sad intelligence was 
transmitted to every part of the country by tele- 
graph, it is needless to speak. The tolling of 
bells, flags at half-mast, public meetings, mourning 
badges, marked in every portion of the South that 
a dread calamity had come over its people. Tears 
flowed abundantly in thousands of Southern homes ; 
everywhere houses were draped with mourning; 
and, indeed, sorrow spread her pall over the land ! 

The Virginia Legislature immediately passed 
resolutions expressive of the general distress, and 
requesting that the remains of General Lee might 
be brought to Hollywood Cemetery, near Rich- 
mond, for interment. His family, however, pre- 
ferred that his remains should rest at the scene of 
his last labors, and beneath the chapel of Washing- 
ton College they were accordingly interred. 

* Remai-kably coincident with the dying words of his " great 
Lieutenant," Jackson, whose last words were : " Let A. P. Hill 
prepare for action ! March the infantry rapidly to the front ! 
Let us cross the river and rest under the shade of the trees." 



THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. I97 

On the 13th, his body was borne to the college 
chapel, escorted by a guard composed of Confed- 
erate soldiers. Next to the hearse, "Traveller," * 
the faithful gray that had borne him to so many 
battle-fields, was led. The Trustees and Faculty of 
the college, the students, and cadets of the Military 
Institute, and the citizens, followed in procession. 
Above the chapel floated the flag of Virginia draped 
in mourning. Through this and the succeeding 
day, the body, covered with flowers, lay in state, 
visited by thousands who came to look for the last 
time upon his noble features. 

On Friday, the 15th, the last rites were performed, 
amid the tolling of bells, the thundering of cannon, 
and the sound of martial music. 

The students of the college, officers and soldiers 
of the Confederate army, and about a thousand per- 
sons, assembled at the chapel, A military escort, 
with the officers of General Lee's staff, were in the 
front. The hearse followed, with "Traveller" 
close behind it. Next came a committee of the 
Virginia Legislature, with citizens from all parts of 
the State. Passing the Military Institute, the cadets 
made the military salute as the body appeared, then 
joined the procession, and escorted it back to the 
* "Traveller" survived his master but a few months. 
17* 



I98 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 

chapel. The procession was more than a mile long. 
After the first salute, a gun .was fired every three min- 
utes. Moving still to the sound of martial music, 
the procession re-entered the grounds of Washing- 
ton College and was halted in front of the chapel. 
The coffin was removed to the rostrum. Emblems 
of mourning met the eye in every direction. Femi- 
nine affection had hung garlands of flowers on the 
pillars and walls. Thousands were present, many 
surrounding the chapel. 

General Lee had requested that no funeral sermon 
should be preached over his body. The funeral ser- 
vice of the Episcopal Church was impressively read 
by his pastor, the Rev. William N. Pendleton, D. D. 
The coffin was then carried by the pall-bearers to 
the library room in the basement of the chapel, 
where it was lowered into the vault prepared for its 
reception. The funeral services were concluded in 
the open air by prayer, and singing General Lee's 
favorite hymn : 

" How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word*" 

The sorrowful multitude then separated, and slowly 
returned to their own homes. £ j£ 2 4 iuJ 

" Blessed are the dead who {lie in the Lord : even 
so saith the Spirit ; for they rest from their labors." 















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